What I Never Knew I Always Wanted
by Twisted Illusions II
Summary: Klaus always knew he was a fuck up; he'd made plenty of mistakes in his life, and he accepted it. But when his casual Tuesday fling winds up pregnant and doesn't want the baby, Klaus can't just abandon it-can he? Klaus's entire view on life changes when that sweet, innocent bundle of joy gets placed into his hands. His entire world now revolved around keeping her safe and loved.
1. How Did I Get Here?

**CHAPTER ONE- How Did I Get Here?**

Klaus Hargreeves had been a fuck up ever since he could remember. He never truly felt that he fit in—the epitome of the definition wayward.

Being raised the way he was; to be a child soldier for an eccentric billionaire and having crazy 'superpowers' just added onto the oddity that already was his life. Even still, he never truly fit the role quite like the rest of his siblings. They all had control over their powers, and had abilities that could actually change the world, make a difference.

Klaus's powers, however, were worthless. All he could do was see and commune with the dead. Sounds cool, sure - if you're a 14 year old goth kid who's obsessed with Criss Angel Mindfreak. The reality however, was that his powers were terrifying. They would never shut up; always screaming at him, begging him for help, trying to reach out and touch him—sometimes he swore they actually made contact.

He couldn't stand it.

It didn't help that his dear ol 'dad' liked to focus extra hard on Klaus and his powers, trying to get him to master them, to be able to control them, to learn more about and push the extent of his abilities. To try to tap into what he'd hoped could be an endless pit of true power. Unfortunately, the only thing Klaus or his powers never failed to do was disappoint.

_Story of his life..._

Not only were his powers a nuisance, but they'd plague him with nightmares both while sleeping and awake, leaving him in a constant state of fear. He couldn't take it, couldn't handle the burden of his abilities. Everyone had their own demons but Klaus's were very much so in the literal sense. After numerous nights being locked in the mausoleum, countless failed attempts to master any sense of the extent of his powers, trying to tap into so much more and failing time and time again, Klaus couldn't bare to live that way any longer.

So he learned a way to drown out the demons in his head, the forelorn souls who constantly hounded him, reaping him from any shred of sanity he ever strained to possess. Klaus learned rather quickly that if he dosed himself up with a bit to drink, or indulged himself with any type of drugs that the screaming, the shrieks and the horrific faces who surrounded him since before he could remember seemed to vanish; disappear into thin air.

That revelation excited Klaus, taught him that something as simple as self medicating could relieve him from such discrepancies in his life, and numb him from his pain. From that moment on, not a moment passed that Klaus wasn't under the influence of something, _anything_ at all. And he loved it, every single blissful moment of it.

_Unfortunately, Reginald did not..._

When Klaus was 17, just a few months shy of his 18th Birthday, he'd snuck out and gone to a bar, gotten drunk and high on god knows what and returned home in the early hours of the morning. Daddy dearest had been waiting up for him and was certain to give him a special welcome home present upon his return.

Two days later, once he was finally able to peel himself off his bedroom floor, gather enough strength to shove a few choice outfits into a bag and climb over the fire escape, Klaus left and promised himself he would never return to that hellish home, to that unloving family. He would just have to make it out in the world on his own.

And he did.

Nearly a decade later however, Klaus hadn't really changed much. He was still that frightened, abused and battered little boy (or rather, stunted man child) with no one to love, no one to be loved by, who still made decisions based off of selfish vendettas. Not that it mattered, he had no one to live for, and he wasn't worth the worry, so why bother?

So he drowned his sorrows in enough booze to drink Captain Jack Sparrow under the table, and enough drugs pumping through his veins to put the Medellin cartel to shame. With no home to call his own, and no money to buy well, much of anything, he made due with having choice encounters with a colorful bunch of people in exchange for a bed to sleep in, the occasional meal, and most importantly: drugs.

It wasn't until early October, right around his 28th Birthday that this life he'd come to know and accept would forever be changed...

"I'm sorry, come again?" Klaus's eyebrows were reaching towards his hairline, shock evident in his features. Certainly he'd misheard what he'd just been told.

"I said, I'm pregnant. It's yours, Klaus. And I-I don't want it, I refuse to be a mother. Once I pop this thing out of me I'm putting it up for adoption—"

"Adoption? Foster care is no place for a baby, Avery! Are you serious? Why won't you, can't you—would your sister want it?" The girl scoffed, folding her arms across her very nearly ready to pop belly.

"No, Klaus! No one wants it! My sister has her hands full with her own kids, you think she wants to add the burden of our drug riddled bastard child into the mix?" Klaus's eyebrows furrowed at her choice of words.

"You can't just...give it up, Avery! I grew up in a similar situation to foster care, trust me, it's..it's not good. I mean, look at me, do you want that for—" His green gaze trailed down to her stomach, his HELLO hand gesturing towards her protruding belly. "It? It's just a baby!"

Avery rolled her eyes, her hands flying up in protest.

"No, Klaus! I don't want that, but I don't want _it_ either! If you're so concerned, then you keep it!" He took a step back as he shook his head, his palm pressing against his chest.

"Me? What am I supposed to do with a baby? I don't have a job or, oh, I don't know, a house—"

"Then stop trying to tell me what to do, Klaus! You're in no position to judge me for my decision. If you don't want it, then it's—" She stopped speaking as her hands flew to her stomach, a pool of crimson laced fluid spilling at her feet as her water broke. Both of them looked down to the puddle before their surprised eyes met.

"Shit."

—-

He couldn't believe how gruesome someone giving birth could truly be. So many fluids, so many odd sounds and so much blood. _Gross_.

Avery screamed as she pushed with all of her might, trying to expel this baby out of her body. Klaus felt awkward, he wasn't really close to Avery, they weren't a couple, he'd just sleep with her every other Tuesday in exchange for some heroine or cocaine—funny, he'd been wondering what happened to her. Now he knew where she'd disappeared off to the last, oh, nine months, give or take.

He tried to grab her hand to attempt to comfort her in some way, but she kept pulling it away from him. He couldn't help but think that was fine, it wasn't his place to console her. He'd been the one to get her into this mess in the first place.

Just the fact that he's here right now, taking the place as a father in a birth and delivery room was enough to send shivers down his spine.

God, Klaus knew he'd made some mistakes in his life, but this one really took the cake.

"How did I get here?" He whispered to himself under his breath, brushing his fingers through his matted curls.

How had he managed to knock some poor girl up, bring another unwanted child into this world, flood the already overpopulated foster care system with yet another baby to be bounced around and potentially wind up in the exact same situation as his own?

Surely if it had powers it would wind up with Reginald. He couldn't allow that to happen...

He hated this. He hated himself for forcing Avery to face such a decision, he hated himself for putting this baby in this situation. He remembered in vivid detail his childhood, being raised exactly as this baby was about to be.

He didn't want to do that to an innocent child...

But what could he do? He was a homeless drug addict with no family that gave a shit about him, or friends. No car, no job, nothing. He owned three outfits that he would hand wash in public restrooms and dry overnight on trees in a park. It wasn't like he could raise a baby...

Could he?

No. No, he was a fuck up, if he were to take this baby under his care surely he would just ruin its life before it even got a chance to begin. What important lessons could be bestow upon a baby? Uh, hey kid, drugs are bad for you—but they sure are fun and do a marvelous job at keeping the ghosts at bay most of the time?

No. The baby would be better off in a foster home. Anything would be better than with him.

Right?

Yes, that would be what's best for Avery's baby.

Klaus never could have expected that the next three words to fill his ears would change his life forever...

"It's a girl!"

Klaus's eyes darted to the tiny, screaming human being in the doctors hands.

A baby...

_His baby..._

"Six pounds, four ounces! All ten fingers and toes, and my, what a cute button nose!" The nurse exclaimed as she went to hand the baby to Avery. The girl fixated her arms across her chest, immediately averting her gaze away from the nurse carrying the child.

"No, I-I'm not keeping it. I don't want to hold it." She closed her eyes and relaxed against the bed. The baby cried, craving skin to skin contact with her mother, with her parent.

"Oh, okay, dear." The nurse peered to Klaus, her smile warm and inviting.

"What about you, daddy?" Klaus's eyes widened at her words.

_Daddy?_

He barely had time to react as the nurse brought the baby to him.

"Oh, no, I really shouldn't, I—" Before he could finish his sentence the baby was placed into his arms, it's tiny little pink chest pressed against his own.

"There, now. Aw, would you look at her, already calming down in her daddy's arms." Klaus stiffened, he could feel the warmth of the baby pressed against his chest, he could feel her little heartbeat thumping against his own, her soft wisps of breath dancing across his exposed skin. His hands rushed to cradle her tighter when a hiccup shook her tiny little frame.

"There you go, my, you're a natural daddy! Look at you already supporting her head!" Klaus's eyes met the nurse's before his gaze shifted down to the baby in his arms.

_There's a baby in his arms..._

_His baby_ is in his arms, pressed against his chest, relaxing into his touch as his heartbeat soothed her to sleep.

"Aren't you two just precious, what a good baby! She took an instant liking to you, dear. You should be so proud!" Klaus couldn't find the words to speak. He was afraid to, too scared to move a muscle and disturb the little bundle of delicate pink flesh cradled against his chest. Avery's angered features flickered to Klaus, a look of disgust played across her furrowed brows.

"Didn't you hear me? What part of we don't want it didn't you understand?" She barked at the nurse. The nurse's face fell as she addressed the frustrated young woman, before turning her attention to Klaus and the baby.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, dear. I didn't mean to push her onto you." She reached for the baby, hands outstretched towards the bundle in his arms. Surprisingly, Klaus didn't hand her the baby. Instead, he gently tightened his grip on her tiny little frame, shifting his posture so the woman couldn't reach her.

"No! I—I do." He whispered, eyes cast down to the baby in his arms.

"What?" Avery stated dumbfounded, "Klaus, you are not equipped to care for that baby. I know you don't agree with foster care, or adoption, but you can't base every situation she could face off of your own experiences. It's the best choice for her, Klaus, way better than anything either of us could ever provide for her—"

"No, you're..you're wrong, Avery."

"No, Klaus. I'm not. You're not in your right mind to be making such a huge decision like this. Look at you, Klaus - you're high. But me? I'm not. I'm sober, got clean so I did at least one thing right by that baby, didn't want her coming out addicted to drugs and force her through withdrawals on top of everything else we're throwing her way."

"I don't care, Avery! It's wrong! A child's place is with its family. And I...I'm her family." His words became quiet as he spoke, a mere hushed whisper by the tail end of his statement. A looming silence filled the delivery room as Klaus shifted his sights onto the baby within his arms.

He didn't know how to explain it, but looking at this precious baby girl his heart swelled with so much love. He'd never felt anything like this before, it was like a warm blanket wrapped around him, enveloping him in such an overwhelming sensation of compassion, of love and awe. He couldn't believe what was happening. How could an unexpected turn of events become such a welcoming change.

Looking at that beautiful baby girls face Klaus couldn't believe he actually _made_ that; that he'd played such a crucial part in creating something so unbelievably precious, so pure, so _perfect_.

Klaus knew it was crazy to even think there was a possibility of raising that baby girl, but he knew in his heart he had to try. He couldn't abandon her, not like his family abandoned him so long ago. He couldn't chance her ever having to face a similar torment as he'd suffered his entire life at the hand of a loveless, cruel 'family'.

If he could just clean up his act, cleanse himself off of all of the substances within his system and start his life anew she would be fine. No, better than fine, she would be perfect.

Klaus may not be very many things, but he _was_ a loving soul.

He knew in his heart he could provide the loving, nurturing environment that baby so deserved. He knew it would be hard, but he had faith he could do it. He knew he could.

He'd never cared to before, but at that time it was just to change to better himself. That was never a good enough reason, it never would be. He wasn't worth the help, not in his eyes.

_But she was..._

As that delicate little angel in his arms nuzzled closer, tucking her face tighter against his chest, clutching his coat within her tiny little fingers he knew in his soul that he'd come to the right decision. He couldn't just give her up, he already loved her far too much.

"I'm keeping her, I won't abandon this little girl." He stated it firmly, with confidence. Avery scoffed as she rolled her eyes before looking away.

"Fine, whatever, suit yourself."

The nurse's face lit up, a brilliant smile lighting her features aflame.

"Are you sure, dear? It's a big decision, I just want you to feel confident in the one you decide." She spoke with such sincerity, Klaus could tell she genuinely cared.

"I'm sure." He smiled down at the baby, gently stroking his forefinger down the side of her velvety cheek. He couldn't believe how soft she was.

"Hello, baby. I'm your daddy." He spoke with such a soft tone, one he didn't even know he possessed. He could already feel the changes happening within himself. He could do this for his baby girl.

The nurse patted his shoulder, their eyes meeting in a warm salutation. She gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"I'll fill out the paperwork. What would you like to name her?"

_A name?_

"You know, I don't know." He exhaled a laugh through his nostrils.

"It's funny," He started, running his fingers softly in circles on her slumbering back. "I didn't even know she existed until a few short hours ago." He looked down to her once more.

_God, she was remarkable..._

So tiny, so beautiful. He wrapped his thumb beneath her palm, her entire hand wrapped around the tip of his finger. He couldn't believe how small she was, how fragile. Her little toes curled and pressed against the skin on his bare chest, it tickled and sent a warm feeling down his spine. Her skin was so incredibly soft against his own, and so warm and inviting.

_She was just so perfect..._

His heart fluttered as he looked into the baby's eyes, his sights focusing on her delicate features, a smile tugging at his lips.

"I think I'll call you Riley."

The nurse smiled at Klaus, taking in the picture perfect moment before her of a father welcoming his first child into the world. She felt the immediate bond. Her smile only deepened as she watched him cradle her closer, cooing sweet nothings to that precious babe as he rocked her back and forth. She laid her hand on his shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"You're going to do just fine." Klaus shared a smile with her and a nod before she left to fill out the paperwork that would make this magical moment official.

He continued to rock Riley, adjusting her so she was pressed into his loving arms. She stretched and yawned before settling comfortably within his embrace.

"I promise to love you, and to be there for you through any obstacle life tries to throw at you, baby girl. I promise to do right by you, sweetie. Daddy will always protect you. I'll always keep you safe." Klaus held her tiny hand within his own, gently running his thumb over her skin. He still couldn't believe this precious baby girl was his.

Klaus started his day like any other day; without a care in the world, not taking anyone's well being including his own into mind. Never in a million years would he have thought he'd be ending his day a changed man; as a father.

It was a welcome change, the first positive thing to happen to him since he could remember. Now was his chance. He knew from this moment forward he had to do what was best for his daughter; no more drugs, no more alcohol. He would have to figure a lot of things out for their future but for now, all he could focus on was the hole in his heart that had been filled. He could do this. He knows he can.

"Daddy loves you so much already, baby. I promise everything is going to be okay."


	2. Self Doubt

**CHAPTER TWO - Self Doubt**

Four days had passed since the birth of Klaus's beautiful bouncing baby girl Riley. Today was their first day out and about on their own after he was able to bring her home from the hospital.

Well, out into the world, anyways. Klaus didn't have a home to bring her to. He had no more doting nurse's from the hospital, no more assistance in getting his baby to nurse, or to sleep, nothing. Klaus was entirely on his own now, and to say he was beyond nervous was putting it lightly.

So, Klaus did what he thought any parent in his position would do and brought his daughter to the only kind of 'home' he could afford: a homeless shelter. It wasn't much, but, four walls and a roof over their heads was better than nothing at all.

Or so he thought.

It wasn't too long after they'd arrived, however, that Klaus quickly realized his decision had likely not been the best idea. He had Riley swaddled in a pink blanket and tucked comfortably within his loving arms as he eased his aching body down against one of the rickety uncomfortable cots. He wasn't even fully situated when an incorrigible man dangled a little all too familiar plastic baggie of pills before his four day old baby's face.

It was hard enough being merely a few days sober and attempting to silently suffer through agonizing withdrawal symptoms while caring for a newborn baby, but to have his one weakness pendulously swinging in front of her face? Klaus knew they couldn't stay there a moment longer.

He couldn't have his impressionable baby girl around these types of people, surrounded by bad influences or put her in a position that could send her down a path that could wind even slightly similar to his own. It was unfair to her, cruel.

And so, Klaus did what he needed to in order to protect his little girl from that terrible fate; he bundled her into his arms, swung their meager possessions over his shoulder and took her as far away from that awful place as he could.

The weather was a little on the brisk side; strong winds whipped around the pair as Klaus carried his little girl down the sidewalk towards an indeterminate destination. Klaus wasted no time in removing his jacket and wrapping it around his little princess. He knew from talking to her nurse while they were still in the hospital that babies couldn't regulate their body temperature at this stage in their development, so it was entirely up to him to ensure she was kept safe and warm. He clutched her against his chest as a strong chill ran down his spine causing his body to tremble and shudder. Klaus didn't know if his body's reaction was from the cold or if it was caused by the lack of drugs in his system.

Having a newborn was hard on its own, but going through withdrawals with one was a special branch of hell he didn't want to experience ever again.

Klaus felt like shit. His skin was crawling and he just couldn't shake the chills that plagued his thin frame. He was dizzy, and nauseous and his entire body ached. He was so lethargic, just standing at all stole so much precious energy from him. He thought he may be running a fever, he felt so clammy and was covered in sweat.

He just felt so sick.

He turned the corner down an alley when a particularly strong bout of nausea struck him like a freight train, causing Klaus to sway dizzily. With the arm that wasn't clutching his daughter he pressed his palm against the wall to steady himself. He closed his eyes, swallowing deep breaths of air into his lungs to try to bury this terrible feeling back down deep within himself. He opened his eyes and straightened his posture when he thought he was in the clear, but the motion jarred his stomach, causing bile to immediately rise into his throat. Klaus whimpered as he pressed his baby tighter against his chest, while he doubled over to wretch.

This was terrible. He felt so disgusting, so embarrassed, so _guilty_.

He couldn't believe he was standing in an alleyway holding his baby and vomiting. She didn't deserve this. He was appalled in himself for forcing her to endure such a disgusting occurrence. This certainly wasn't what he envisioned for his little angel when he selfishly decided to raise her on his own. It definitely wasn't an ideal situation, but Klaus couldn't set Riley down on the dirty ground, he couldn't risk her getting sick, or cut, or hurt. He couldn't exactly ask a stranger to hold her for him either; that would just be a child services call waiting to happen.

When Klaus finally composed himself enough and was able to swallow that horrendous sickening feeling down, he distanced themselves from his mess, and sunk against the worn brick wall.

Heaving for his breath while clutching his daughter gently against his trembling chest, Klaus couldn't help himself when his feelings on this entire situation came bubbling out forcibly through his lips, and he cried.

He cried for his little girl, four days old and he was already well on the way to ruining her life. He cried for himself for ever thinking he could handle such an important responsibility. He cried because as he looked down to his baby on his lap she was somehow undisturbed; completely oblivious to the awful happenings surrounding her.

He was thankful for this, at least, he didn't want to have her first memory be of her daddy puking in some janky alley and distraught like some immature fool. He felt so desolate, here he was wrecking this precious baby's future and she was entirely unaware of what she was doomed to face.

Klaus was jealous of her innocence. Looking at her beautiful, blissfully unaware features; Klaus's heart broke when an incredibly harsh realization finally hit.

He couldn't deny the truth any longer...

_He couldn't do this._

He'd made a huge mistake, for himself but most importantly for her. He stroked an unsteady finger gently over her cheek, caressing her warm soft skin before he soothed down the curls of her dark downy hair and he just _looked_ at her.

He loved her so much, more than anything he'd ever known in this world, but he knew he couldn't continue her down this path any further.

"I'm sorry, baby. I need to do what's right for you, but this..this isn't right. I'm so sorry." His voice was barely above a whisper, simply too upset with the situation at hand; the reality of the decision he was forcing himself to make ever present in his thoughts.

Klaus hastily wiped at his tears before leveraging himself off of the grungy cement paved ground beneath them and he started the journey towards what he knew deep in his heart was the best option for his daughter.

He sobbed with each unsteady step as he traversed forward. Klaus didn't _want_ to do this, but he knew that he _had_ to: it was the right thing to do. She deserved so much more than he would ever be capable of providing for her. He just wanted her to have everything she needed in this world, and while it devastated him, he knew she would never be able to get anything of importance from him. He'd already failed her, he couldn't do this to her any longer.

His lips quivered, his breath hitching in his throat as he approached the hospital where he'd first laid his eyes on his little one; this was the building where his first crime against his perfect baby girl took place. It seemed fitting to return to the scene of the crime to correct his wrong doings, fix the mess he'd made and save his precious baby from himself. Klaus climbed the steps that led to the front entrance of the hospital; relinquishing his parental rights over her was the only way that he could ensure his beautiful, perfect baby girl got everything she deserved, or could ever need or even want in her life.

He approached the entrance, taking a deep hopefully steadying breath as he pressed his palm flat against the push to open door and he...

_Hesitated..._

Klaus's hand lingered against the door that would undoubtedly lead to his daughters place of refuge and security and yet he was unable to move any further.

While Klaus knew deep within his soul that everything about this situation was wrong; him choosing to selfishly think he could care for his precious daughter, he knew he'd been fooling himself to ever believe he could handle such a paramount responsibility. Even still, knowing that it would be in Riley's best interest to give her up, he just couldn't bring himself to do it.

"God," He began, a sob shaking his weary form, "I just hope I'm doing the right thing. Please, let this not be another mistake."

He closed his eyes tilting his head back to face whatever forces were at play above them. He hated himself for yet again considering such absurdities; how could he possibly think this would lead to a positive end for his precious baby girl? How could he be so selfish, so self-regarding, so heedless or self-serving? He knew he should be putting _her_ needs before his own but he just wanted her, no, _needed_ her too badly to just let her go.

"I just want what's best for you, princess. I love you so much, I hope one day you'll be able to find it in your heart to forgive me for this."

Klaus pivoted; turning his back on the hospital, and in his eyes, turning his back on his baby's only chance at a future. In this moment, however, he couldn't bring himself to care.

He was a fuck up, always had been, a self-centered piece of trash who deserved everything that came his way in a negative stance. Riley, however, was _pure_. Entirely untainted by the world around her, the poor choices her father had already made for her, and completely at the mercy of his vacuous free will.

Which was why even though Klaus doubted himself, having already been self-deprecating in his ability to raise his daughter; he had to give himself credit for at least one thing: his heart.

Klaus loved his daughter. He cherished her more than any precious jewel, any priceless painting, or what had ever actually mattered to him before she ever came along: drugs. Riley meant more to him than any of those trivial, meaningless, insignificant things. Riley was everything to Klaus, she was what he never knew he always wanted; and more importantly, _needed_.

Which was exactly why he refused to just give her up. He needed to change for her, needed to cave and give into the one thing he always prided himself of never doing: he needed to ask for _help_.

But from whom?

Klaus and his family had long been on unsteady terms; especially after his last overdose. Not that he blamed them, he would have given up on him too. There was one person, however, who somehow no matter how many times he'd fucked up, or stolen from them, or lied to them, or hurt them, somehow always seemed to never want to turn and walk away. He didn't understand why they were like this; so quick to forgive and forget and pretend like nothing wrong had ever occurred, never seemed capable of holding any animosity towards him. Always there for him should he ever need them.

Ben was there for Klaus long after everyone else gave up on him. He was there for him after his last overdose; invited him into his home to recover and heal from the trauma he'd inflicted upon his own body, and told him that he would always be welcome there. Klaus only hoped his words still rang true.

Pushing his ego aside to put his baby girl's well being in the forefront; Klaus started the journey towards a better life for his daughter; and hopefully with any luck, a better life for himself.

The trek was tiring on his already weakened frame, but Klaus pushed through his own discomfort for his daughter. He needed to do this for her, it was her only hope, her only chance at a decent life.

He approached his brother's front door; the dark red color warm and inviting; welcoming, like he'd hoped his brother would still be. He inhaled a deep breath, directing his gaze onto his beautiful baby's face as his knuckles rapped against the lacquered wood with three bold knocks.

A moment of silence passed; the only sound surrounding the pair was the whispered song of the wind, and the deep thunderous frightened beating of his own heart.

A long beat of stillness transpired and there was no answer. Panicked; Klaus knocked again.

Still nothing...

A heavy sense of dread filled his chest, crushing any hopes he had for his daughter. This was it, this was her only shot at a decent future and it was a dead end; much like his life. Defeated and hopeless, Klaus bowed his head, his eyes meeting his daughter's. Her beautiful big blue eyes met his own, her long lashes flittering against the soft breeze surrounding them. His lips trembled as he admired her.

She was so beautiful, so innocent, so incredibly perfect and he now knew without a doubt in his mind he had no other choice than to say goodbye to her. He pressed the heel of his hand against his eyes to desperately try to staunch his tears; he needed to be brave for his little princess, he couldn't allow her to see her daddy so heartbroken.

Klaus turned to leave, his mind set on doing what was best for his daughter; when his world turned upside down as an all encompassing burst of fatigue overwhelmed him. He swayed dizzily, stumbling back a step as he reached to steady himself on one of the wooden columns on Ben's front porch. His arms trembled, struggling to hold his debilitated body upright. He clenched his eyes tightly closed, a groan vacating his lips as the all too familiar sensation of nausea filled his abdomen. A cry surged through his lips; he hated this so much. He was already so distraught over losing his precious baby girl, he didn't need to feel so sick on top of everything else right now. He needed to sit, needed to clear his fuzzy head, and to calm his racing heart.

Klaus coughed harshly, his shaky hands struggling to push himself upright when the sound of the mechanisms within the door sounded, before the bolt unlocked and finally opened.

"Klaus?" Ben peered through the opening of his door, taking in his brothers swaying form. "Is that you? What are you doing here, are you alright?"

Klaus's body shook with a sob as he turned to face his brother. Ben's eyes shone brilliantly with concern.

"Can...can we come in? Please?" Klaus's eyes fluttered, threatening to close as he took an unsteady step forward. Ben's eyes widened when he realized the baby in his brother's arms, but wasted no time in accepting his clearly struggling siblings request.

"Yes, of course. Come in, it's freezing outside."

Klaus nodded as he stumbled through the threshold into Ben's home; still just as warm and inviting as he'd remembered. Ben closed the door behind them, locking the latch as Klaus, carrying Riley, walked through the kitchen and entered into the living room.

"Klaus, what the fuck," Ben began, following his brother into the room. Now that they were inside and out of the cold, he could finally address the looming question on his mind since he'd first opened the door. "Who's baby is that, Klaus? And what the hell are you doing with it?"

Klaus smiled tightly as his hazy eyes met his brother's concerned and bewildered ones.

"She's mine, Ben. Surprise!" He let out a soft giggle before falling into an uncomfortable silence. He closed his eyes just as the color drained from his face.

"You okay?" Ben asked, taking in his brother's feeble appearance. Klaus shook his head, quickly closing the gap between himself and his confused sibling as he handed him his baby girl.

"Please, don't say anything, I don't need to hear it right now. Just, please, hold her for me, just for a minute?" Ben opened his mouth to protest but quickly obliged, closing his lips and nodding before accepting the wiggling baby into his arms.

"Thank you." Klaus whispered breathily before covering his mouth with his palm and sprinting into the small bathroom in the hallway. Ben's eyes furrowed at the sound of his brother's vomiting.

"Jesus Christ, are you sick? With a baby?" Ben reprimanded as he rounded the corner to watch his distressed brother continue to wretch. Klaus coughed into the toilet, his shaky hands clutching the cool porcelain like a lifeline.

"M'not sick Ben," He began, coughing once more into the toilet before a hard shudder rocked his frame. "It's worse, I'm sober."

Ben's eyes widened at his brothers statement.

"What? Klaus, wait, really? For how long?" Ben asked, his tone sharp with astonishment. Klaus groaned, his body quivering harshly as his teeth chattered within his skull.

"Let's see," He began, another harsh shudder plaguing his weary form, "she's four days old, so...four days?"

"You quit for her?" Ben's eyebrows darted towards the sky, shock evident on his features. Klaus's body heaved into the toilet, but nothing came out. He had nothing left to give; both physically, and emotionally. He was just so over everything; so ready to just rest, at least for a little while. He groaned, pinching his eyes shut as his hand clutched at his ailing belly.

"You sound disappointed." He sucked in a breath trying to calm his nerves, he just felt so anxious and so sick. This had been an incredibly difficult day for him, he was ready for it to be over. Ben's expression softened at his brother's words; how could he ever have thought he would be disappointed in him for doing something so incredibly thoughtful, so selfless?

"No, actually. Quite the opposite, Klaus. I'm...I'm proud of you."

"Oh, well, that's a relief." Klaus smiled briefly as a silence filled the tiny bathroom before pressing his forehead against the seat of the toilet; the cooling sensation felt so comforting against his feverish brow. His charged emotions couldn't be suppressed any longer, Klaus could no longer camouflage his true feelings, and he _cried_; wept for his little angel, disturbed by his own selfish mistakes. Ben took a step forward laying his hand against his brother's trembling shoulder.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He asked, gently rubbing circles against his brothers sharp scapula in an attempt to provide him some ounce of comfort. Klaus sucked in a sharp breath, wiping at his eyes before looking to his brother.

"I-I'm in way over my head, Ben. I don't know what to do, or what I was thinking. I can't have a baby." His voice was weak and unsteady; trembling, just like him. He was just so upset, and confused, and _scared_. He didn't know what to do, didn't know how to make things right for his daughter. Ben's lips tugged into a sad smile, his heart sagging in his chest at his brother's words.

"Hey now," He began, stooping down onto his knee to be at his brothers level, "Come on, none of that. Klaus, you're going to be just fine." Klaus couldn't contain the pitiful sounding laugh that rattled within his chest.

"Fine?" He wiped at his tears, his gaze never meeting his brother's; he was too upset to make eye contact, too afraid to see the disappointment in his brother's eyes. He couldn't handle letting down anyone else, failing yet another person in his life he cared so much about.

"Ben, I'm homeless; I have no job, no family besides you. I'm not cut out for this. I'm already screwing everything up, I can't do this...I just can't!" He closed his eyes, rolling his forehead against the toilet seat while tugging at his hair. Ben's face fell.

"Hey, you're wrong, Klaus. Look at you, you're already making good decisions. You came here, didn't you? Not to mention you're getting sober—"

"I can't do this, Ben!" Klaus wailed, his face contorted in heartache.

Ben's eyebrows furrowed as he looked at his clearly distressed brother, it broke his heart to see the man before him feeling the way he was; so sad, so distraught, so _lost_. He laid his palm against his brother's shoulder, giving it a gentle reassuring squeeze.

"Klaus, yes you can." Klaus sniffled as he attempted to straighten, but his head was pounding so hard, and he just felt so sick. He groaned, clutching at his stomach with one hand as he heaved dryly onto the bowl once again. His body shook from the effort, he was just so tired, so emotionally and physically drained. After a few moments of trying to compose himself Klaus peered to Ben, but instead of his brother's eyes meeting his own, his daughter's curious blue gaze was watching him intently.

"Ben, I'm sorry, but please leave. Just go, I don't want her to see me like this." He sucked in a breath, his cries of despair filling the small bathroom. Ben looked down to the baby in his arms, tucking Klaus's jacket tighter against her tiny frame before returning his focus to his brother.

"Like what, Klaus?" He began, his free hand tightening against his brother's shoulder, "Like a father who is scared out of his mind, and just trying to do what's best for his daughter?" A sob escaped Klaus's lips as he pressed both of his palms to his eyes. He didn't deserve his brothers pity, he didn't deserve his little girl, he didn't deserve such kindness.

"I...I don't deserve her, Ben. She's so perfect, so pure, and I'm just—"

"You're just a brand new father who is learning the ropes, Klaus. You're scared, and that's normal! You said so yourself; she's only four days old, having a baby isn't easy, but from what I can see, you've done just fine by her so far. You can do this!" Klaus's shoulders shook with each unsteady breath he took, he didn't believe his words, he knew he wasn't right.

"I just," He took in a breath as another tear rolled down his cheek, "I-I just want what's best for her, Ben. And I'm...I'm not it; I'm not at all—"

"Yes, you are, Klaus. Look at her," Ben started, trying to gain his brother's attention. "Look at her, Klaus. Open your eyes and look at your daughter." Klaus's lips quivered as he slowly opened his eyes. He tilted his weary head towards his brother and looked at his beautiful little girl. She was watching him; her brilliant blue irises bright and wide with wonder as her tiny little arms outstretched reaching towards him; begging for him to take care, to hold her, to _love_ her.

"Look at her, Klaus. She wants you, she loves you. I can see it in your eyes, it's written all over your face. You love this little girl so much, and you want her too. Why deny yourself that? You can do this Klaus. Deep down I think that you know you can. I know you can, she knows you can. Just stick with it, stay sober and be there for her. That's all she needs." Klaus took his daughter's hand into his own, her fingers immediately wrapped around his finger giving it a tight squeeze; he swore it felt like she was trying to comfort him. His lips continued to tremble but they tugged into a delicate smile. A soft sad laugh left his lips as he looked into Ben's caring brown eyes.

"You've always been way too trusting in people, Ben." Ben's lips curled into a crooked smile as he focused hard on his brother's eyes.

"No, I've just always had a good judgement of character." Both men exchanged a smile and a nod at one another. Ben leaned forward, wrapping his free arm around his brother's shoulder in a warm embrace.

"You can do this, Klaus. We know you can," Ben pulled away from the hug to gently bounce Riley in his arms, "Isn't that right sweetheart? Daddy can do this, yeah? Yeah, he can." Klaus let out a shuddered breath as he smiled at his brother cooing to his daughter. Ben returned his attention to Klaus; his weakened figure still left trembling and exhausted.

"Now, I've got her for a while, you need to rest. Let's get you to bed for a bit, yeah? You look like you haven't slept in days." Klaus could only nod as Ben helped ease him off the floor and guided him into his bedroom to lay down. He'd barely settled himself flat against the mattress before the exhaustion pulled him into a deep and restful sleep.

—-

Ben allowed Klaus to sleep for a few hours while he tended to his brother's baby girl—There was no denying that the man undoubtedly deserved his rest. As soon as Ben's eyes caught a glimpse of Klaus; swaying dizzily and struggling to keep his eyes open, he knew his brother was in desperate need of help. Then, when he realized the baby swaddled within his arms, there wasn't a doubt in his mind that his brother may have been in well over his head, and perhaps had bitten off more than he could chew. Truthfully, Ben didn't believe Klaus at first when he said the child was his. Then again, Klaus always had been known for his promiscuity, and knowing that he was homeless, out on the street and well aware of how he earned his meals and beds he slept it, maybe it wasn't such an unrealistic concept after all.

Even still it was a lot to take in, especially with this being the first time that he'd seen his brother in a little over a year's span. Not to mention, that the last he'd seen Klaus was right after his overdose.

That was the most frightening moment in Ben's life; seeing his brother's life hanging on by a mere thread that was already so tattered and frayed. He'd never seen Klaus like that before. So unbelievably weak, so frail. It was touch and go for a long time whether or not he was going to make it at all; but Ben was thrilled that he miraculously did. He'd invited Klaus to stay with him, at least for a little while, long enough to get back on his feet. Klaus hadn't wanted to impose himself upon his brother, but Ben wouldn't accept no for an answer.

The week span that Klaus stayed with Ben had been one of his happiest times in his life. Sure, Klaus wasn't in his best health, he was very weak and still rather sickly to an extent and spent a lot of time just resting, but when he got the few prized moments where they could just sit together and talk like they used to when they were younger, well, Ben couldn't have been any happier. Truthfully, he'd missed his brother. Klaus had always been Ben's closest resemblance to a friend his entire childhood. Raised as brothers or not, they were inseparable.

Ben would never forget the fateful day that their lives were suddenly changed; their close proximity to one another forcefully ripped apart by their fathers own terrible doings. It was Ben who found Klaus the day he turned his back on his family and left the academy forever. He remembered the details vividly; he would never be able to scorch that horrendous memory from his brain, or detach it from his retinas.

It had been two days since he'd last seen or spoken to his brother and he'd grown worried. They were always together, and Klaus had missed their weekly 'Tuesday Turn The Cover' book reading party they'd started nearly two years ago. Klaus never missed a meeting—Ben was worried sick. When he asked their siblings if they'd seen or heard from Klaus, no one seemed to have any useful information, so Ben took it upon himself to go searching for him. When he approached his brothers door and knocked he found it already slightly ajar, as it swung open as soon as his knuckles made contact. He entered the room and that's when he saw Klaus. The horror within Ben's stomach churned at the sight of his brother.

Klaus was laying haphazardly in the center of his floor; deep painfully obvious bruising covered his pale skin. He was drenched in sweat and his hair was matted down with dried blood from a deep laceration across his temple. He had never seen a living human being look so..._broken_.

He rushed to his side, cradling his limp form into his lap and tapped his brothers cheek to try to pull him back into consciousness. When his eyes fluttered, revealing eyes glazed with fever and pain; whites marred with red where blood vessels had burst from how hard he had been hit, Ben couldn't suppress his tears.

He couldn't blame his brother for deciding to leave, Ben only wished that he'd made the decision to go with him. Knowing what he does now, how terrible of a life he wound up leading, he couldn't help but feel that he'd failed his brother in the worst kind of way.

Fortunately, the ethereal sounding murmurs of Klaus's precious bundle of joy cooing pulled Ben from his own thoughts and his terrible memories. He smiled down at Klaus's baby girl as he finished changing her dirty diaper. He'd just fed her, and burped her, and now he was rocking her in his arms. Ben still couldn't believe that this precious little munchkin was Klaus's. She was so cute, and so unbelievably tiny. He cradled her in his arms, trailing his thumb over her chubby little cheeks as he just absorbed this moment. She was beautiful; large doe-like blue eyes with the longest eyelashes he'd ever seen. She had the most perfect little nose, and the cutest set of dimples in her cherubic little cheeks. Her hair was dark and curly, just like her father's and her skin was fair like his, too. He couldn't believe how perfect she was. He held her close as she began to drift to sleep in his warm loving embrace.

Ben hummed a soothing tune to her while he prepared a quick meal for her daddy. Looking at Klaus, Ben wasn't sure the last time he'd eaten, he was so thin. A bowl of hot soup and a fresh grilled cheese sandwich certainly ought to do the trick to help him feel better.

He cradled Klaus's precious angel against his chest as he plated the grilled cheese sandwich and poured the soup into a thermos; he didn't want to risk it knocking over and spilling on the baby. Careful to not wake her, he balanced the plate and soup filled canister in his free hand as he quietly entered the bedroom where his brother was asleep.

Ben's lips tugged into a frown as he took in his brother's appearance.

_Klaus looked terrible..._

He was so pale, and sweaty, and he just looked so exhausted. Ben laid the plate and thermos down on the nightstand before settling himself on the edge of the bed beside his brother. He laid his palm against his trembling shoulder and gave him a soft nudge.

"Klaus," He stated, barely above a whisper. He wanted to wake him without disturbing the baby, "Wake up, it's time to eat."

Klaus hummed, his eyes furrowing before opening into slits. God, he looked so tired.

"How you feeling, any better? Did you sleep okay?" Ben asked as he gently laid the baby's slumbering form down on the bed beside her daddy, mindful to set her away from the edge so she was safe. Klaus smiled tiredly down at his daughter, gently running his fingertips delicately up and down her back, before tucking her curls away from her eyes.

"Yeah. Thanks, Ben. I really appreciate this, you have no idea." He closed his eyes again as he ran his shaky palm down his face.

"It's not a problem at all, Klaus. You know I'll always be here for you. You're always welcome here; both of you." Klaus smiled at Ben, stifling a groan as he sat up in the bed. Ben laid a steadying hand on his shoulder, but Klaus just smiled at him, patting his hand to let him know he was okay.

"Here, have some soup, and I made you your favorite—grilled cheese." Klaus thanked Ben before taking the plate into his lap. He tore off a chunk of the sandwich and plopped it into his mouth, chewing it slowly before finally swallowing it. He coughed; the sandwich a bit too rich for his nutrition deprived frame. Ben frowned, handing his brother the soup instead. Klaus opened the thermos, blowing on the hot contents within before slurping a few sips down. Ben smiled while he watched Klaus eat, he was happy he could provide such solace for his brother; give him and his daughter a warm bed to sleep in and a hot meal for his clearly starved belly. He felt proud in knowing that Klaus trusted him enough to turn to him in his time of need. He was just happy he could do this for his brother. His smile wavered however, his palm laying over Klaus's to garner his attention. Klaus paused sipping at his soup, his tired green eyes meeting his brother's calm brown ones.

"Klaus, you know I'll always be here for you in whatever way I can, I want nothing more than to help you and your baby, but, I—" He paused, sucking in a deep breath before continuing, "I'm leaving for college next week."

Klaus's eyes widened at his brother's statement. Leaving? He couldn't go, where would he and Riley go? Who would help him? He'd finally thought they would be okay, that they were in the clear. With Ben's help he would surely be able to keep her, but if he left? What then? Klaus set the thermos down as he buried his face into his palms.

"I...I can't do this alone, Ben. I can't do this without you." Ben's face fell at his brother's words. He laid a comforting hand against his knee as he leaned towards his sibling.

"Hey now, yes you can. Look, I want you two to stay here, alright? It'll put a roof over both of your heads. I'll stock up on as many groceries for you two as I can, pick up some necessities for the baby—"

"Riley," Klaus corrected as he smiled warmly at his slumbering daughter. "Her..her name is Riley." Ben smiled, leaning over to stroke Klaus's baby's back.

"I'll pick up as many necessities for _Riley_ as I can. Klaus, I have an emergency fund that's connected to a debit card. I'll leave it here for you so you guys have some money. It isn't much, but it should be plenty to tide you two over for food and supplies." Klaus couldn't believe his brother's generosity; an actual home to call their own, and money to be able to provide his daughter with whatever she could ever need?

"Ben, I can't ask you to do that—"

"Please," Ben started, holding his palm up to stop his brother. "I want to, Klaus. Besides, she's my niece, I need to spoil her somehow, don't I? Just, Klaus, please don't—"

"Waste it on drugs?" Klaus interjected, "I won't Ben, I promise. I can't, I have something so much more important to me now than those ludicrous things." Klaus smiled lovingly at his daughter; the quiet sounds of her breathing filling the bedroom. He caressed her cheek, smoothing her awry curls down against the crown of her head. Ben smiled as he watched his brother's interaction between himself and his daughter; it was so refreshing to see Klaus so infatuated with something in such a positive light, it was the most beautiful sight he could have ever witnessed. A father and his daughter, so tender and nurturing. It was a welcomed sight to behold.

"I trust you, Klaus. I'll leave my number on the fridge. I have Diego's number, too. I know you two haven't spoken since...the _incident_, but he doesn't live far from here. If you need any help he will help you." Klaus scoffed at his brother's words. The 'incident' was his last overdose. Diego made it painfully clear that he never wanted to speak to or see his brother again, he wasn't going to disappoint him now by begging him for help. Ben was just offering him what help he could, however, and Klaus wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Instead he simply smiled and nodded expressing his thanks. Ben knew Diego was a touchy subject for his brother, so he didn't push the envelope further. He just wanted Klaus to know his number was available to him should he need it.

"Now, eat, rest. You'll need all of your strength to be able to handle this little monster." Ben sent his brother a reassuring smile as he patted his knee before raising to his feet. Klaus laughed, picking up the thermos and pressing it to his lips, taking a big sip.

Klaus was scared; he didn't know if his brother was right in this instance. He didn't think he could handle caring for his baby girl on his own. But, with Ben's kind words, his encouragement and his help, no matter how far he may be, Klaus found that he was forming enough faith in himself that maybe he would be able to handle this utmost responsibility after all. Maybe, just maybe, they would be just fine.

—

_**Authors Note:**_ _Hey! I swear I don't only write withdrawals lol this is the only chapter with them. I hope you're all enjoying this story, I'm super excited for it! It's my favorite thing I've ever written! I hope it will reflect on the story!_

_I should note I am NOT a baby expert. I'm merely a brand new aunt and use my nephew for inspiration—that said, take my baby facts with a grain of salt haha_

_If you are enjoying PLEASE let me know in the comments! I would love to know your thoughts and opinions on this! thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy! :)_


	3. Maybe I Can Do This After All

**CHAPTER THREE- Maybe I Can Do This After All**

The road to sobriety was not an easily accessible one; but after what felt like a never ending battle, Klaus showed great perseverance and pulled through on the other side virtually unscathed. It was unimaginably hard on him; not a moment passed where he didn't want just a little something to take the edge off, but he knew better than that, now. It was peculiar, how in the small period of time that had passed since he'd first laid his eyes on his perfect baby girl, he'd managed to blossom; fully bloom into a somehow much better man who actually was capable of putting someone else's well being before his own.

His daughter's safety, health and happiness trumped his lust for such inconsequential, frivolous things such as drugs, or alcohol. She came first, now, and forever would. She was his entire world, there was no room for him to be equivocal anymore, he had to be there whole heartedly for his daughter: Physically, mentally, and with all of his heart and soul.

While deep down in his heart he knew he could, no, _would_ be the perfect parent for his precious baby, Klaus still couldn't quite shake the feeling that this was all somehow so _wrong_. He still couldn't get over his own past mistakes, and was troubled by his own erstwhile behavior. He was so incredibly thankful for his brother Ben for being so forthcoming in helping him care for his daughter, especially over the duration of the week that he was completely indisposed; utterly sick from withdrawal.

Ironic, how he was not only withdrawing from drugs, but he felt himself beginning to withdrawal from his daughter...

Not that he wanted to, of course. Klaus truly did love his little girl with all of his being, but he couldn't help himself for feeling that way, he was just so afraid.

_Terrified, really..._

He didn't want to harm her. He didn't trust himself to be the sweet, nurturing guardian that she so deserved. He _yearned_ to be everything she merited and so much more, but he was nervous, and his anxieties over himself just wouldn't seem to diminish, or go away.

"Hey, you feeling okay?" Ben asked as he peered inside the bedroom to check on his brother. It was nearly three in the afternoon and Klaus hadn't come out to interact at all yet. Extremely untypical for his usually boisterous, and sometimes downright tumultuous sibling. Inside the room was cast in shadow; the only illumination were the occasional stray flickers of light that danced between the drawn curtains. "Klaus?"

Klaus's back was facing Ben; he was turned towards the window, focusing his sights on something obscure. He was curled beneath the duvet and didn't respond to his sibling's query.

"Come on man, talk to me. What's wrong?" Ben entered the bedroom, supporting a slumbering Riley against his chest. He closed the door behind them quietly as he approached his dispirited sibling on the bed. Klaus pressed his cheek heavier against the pillow, shrugging the blanket tighter against his slender frame; his expression remaining catatonic. Ben sat on the lip of the bed; the mattress dipping beneath his and Riley's added weight. Ben rubbed the palm of his hand gently down Riley's back, cooing to her when she stirred, but his comforting touch lulled her back to sleep.

"Say something, Klaus. What's going on?" Ben pushed, trying desperately to pull some kind of a response from his silent sibling. Klaus sighed, his eyes momentarily flickering to his daughter within his brother's arms before he relaxed deeper into the mattress.

"I just...I don't feel good, Ben." He finally spoke; his voice hushed, nearly inaudible. Ben's eyebrows furrowed as he took in his brother's appearance.

He didn't _look_ sick anymore, but he had been rather _distant_ the last three days; perhaps he truly wasn't feeling his best just yet.

"You don't feel well? Like, sick?" Ben shifted his weight, leaning forward to lay the back of his hand against his brother's forehead in an attempt to gauge his temperature, earning Klaus to close his eyes at his solicitous touch. Ben hummed, moving his hand to his cheek, and then his neck, before retrieving his hand; situating it to support beneath Riley's bottom. "You don't feel hot - no fever. What's bothering you?"

"I already told you, Ben. I don't feel good." Klaus tugged the blanket tighter beneath his chin, his eyes pinched shut. Ben looked at his brother, scrutiny thick on his expression.

"Not well how, Klaus? Stomachache, headache? I can't help you if you don't let me—"

"You can't help me Ben, don't you get it?" Klaus nearly barked; he would have spoken louder but he didn't want to disturb his baby girl. "I can't be helped, Ben. I'm deplorable, can't you see that? _I'm not good_; I'll never be good enough for her, I'm an unfit parent. I'll never be able to do right by her." Ben's face fell at his brother's barbed statement.

"Klaus, we've been over this, you are more than enough—"

"No, I'm not, Ben!" His pitch raised just enough to earn a rise out of his daughter who began to whimper in her uncle's arms. Klaus's lips trembled, tears pricking his eyes at the pitiful sounds of his precious angel crying; something as pure as she was should never be forced to shed a tear at the hands of her own father. Klaus felt awful knowing it was _his_ fault his little princess was suddenly so upset.

"See? All I do is bring harm, Ben! I _hurt_ her, I'll never be able to be good enough for her! She deserves so much better than this; so much better than _me_."

"Stop talking like that, Klaus. You're just upset; probably suffering from some form of postpartum depression." Klaus laughed dryly at his brothers absurd suggestion.

"Postpartum depression? Wow, Ben. I know she's mine, but I didn't exactly play the role of pushing her out of me—"

"Actually, Klaus, postpartum depression happens just as commonly to father's as it does to mother's." He stated simply, "and judging by your recent symptoms: your irritability, you've been more stressed, anxious, and panicky," He leaned in closer, examining his brothers face. "Judging by the bags under your eyes, I presume you've been having difficulty sleeping? All classic signs of it, Klaus. There's not a doubt in my mind that's what's making you feel this way." A soft cry escaped past Klaus's lips as he absorbed this information. Ben rocked Riley trying to calm her, but she continued to wail, inconsolable in the arms of her uncle.

"Shh shh it's okay, sweetheart," Ben cooed to her, voice soft and calming, "daddy loves you, honey bee, he's just going through a tough time right now. Isn't that right, daddy?" Ben's eyes flickered to Klaus, his brother's tear filled eyes meeting his own before they trailed to his daughter.

"More than anything, princess." Klaus's soft voice wavered; laden with guilt. He did love his daughter, so very much, but he just didn't believe he deserved his angel. He'd already hurt his beautiful baby girl, he couldn't bare the idea of him doing it again, and again, and again.

Ben continued to rock Riley, but the precious babe simply wouldn't calm down.

"She doesn't want me, Klaus. Here, I think she wants you—" He attempted to hand the baby to Klaus, but he ducked away; too afraid to take her.

"No, Ben! I'll hurt her!"

Ben couldn't believe his brother truly believed he would ever be capable of harming his little girl.

"No you won't, Klaus," His lip curled into a crooked yet reassuring smile; his tone remaining soft and kind, "You've never hurt anyone in your entire life. You've only ever _been_ hurt. You're a good person with a kind heart, and you would never do anything to hurt her. Deep down I think you know that, too."

Klaus's lips trembled as he inhaled a sharp breath, desperately attempting to suppress the despair trying to creep out of his chest. He wanted to believe Ben, he truly did, but he couldn't get past the terrible ideation in his mind.

Klaus truly believed that his touch was toxic; poisonous, and just the thought of touching his perfect little girl frightened him. Perhaps the scariest thing about all of this to Klaus, however, was how badly he _wanted_ to. He loved Riley so much, he had the strongest covetous urge to simply take her into his arms, and just _hold_ her; _cherish_ her. He _yearned_ to feel her warmth against his chest, her velvety skin against his own. Watching his precious girl cry just deepened those instinctual urges within his heart. It was killing him to see her so distraught, he wished he could comfort her; to be the one she could turn to during her fits, and be able to take away her woes.

Ben could see the longing look in his brother's sorrowful green eyes; he knew Klaus was battling his inner demons, but he could see through his insecurities, and knew his true intent. Klaus _loved_ his daughter, and Ben knew he would never, _ever_ hurt her.

"Take her, Klaus. She wants her daddy to hold her." He held the screaming baby up, bringing her closer to her grief-stricken father. Klaus went to protest, but Ben wouldn't allow it. He needed to do this, right here, right now, or he feared Klaus would never be able to allow himself the simple gratification of accepting his capabilities; and just allowing himself to hold his baby girl.

Without hesitation, Ben pressed Riley into Klaus's trembling arms. Klaus's eyes widened; his jaw clenching at the sudden presence of his daughter within his hands. Strangely enough, his physical reaction was much better than what he fearfully anticipated. His tense muscles slackened; every ounce of negativity he'd amassed deep within himself abruptly dissolved away, leaving him physically melting beneath his daughter's tiny figure.

_God, he missed this..._

He looked to his daughter, their sorrowful eyes meeting in a much anticipated moment of awakening. Klaus's lips curled into a sad yet hopeful smile when his beautiful, perfect little girl's tears seemed to swiftly cease; her scrunched, upset features softening into a calm expression. He couldn't suppress the soft exhale of an almost laugh when her own lips quirked into what he nearly swore was a smile, enhancing her perfect dimples on her flawless little cheeks. Ben smiled at the sight before him; it warmed his heart to see his brother's anxious nature finally seem to curb; he couldn't help but to bask in the glory of it all. This was what Klaus needed all along, he just needed to hold his baby girl.

"Aw, would you look at her, smiling at her daddy." Ben pressed his hand against Klaus's back, rubbing comforting circles of encouragement on his slender frame. Klaus exhaled a laugh through his nose.

"Probably just gas."

"Gas?" Ben laughed, edging himself closer to peer down to his niece in his brother's lap. "No way, she's definitely smiling, dude. She's happy to be back in her daddy's arms." Klaus glanced at Ben, shooting him a quick smile before returning his focus to his daughter. He took her tiny hand within his own; her fingers curled around the digit immediately, sending waves of warmth sprawling throughout Klaus's chest.

"You really think so?"

Ben wrapped his arms around his brother's waist, pulling him into a chaste hug.

"I know so." He ruffled Klaus's mop of curls, releasing him from his embrace. "She missed you."

Klaus could feel a warm sensation flooding his chest; as his cheeks flushed with adoration and love.

"I missed her, too." He pulled his daughter closer to himself, tucking her tiny little body firmly against his chest as he nuzzled his cheek atop her head. He closed his eyes as he rocked her, humming a soothing tone to her; comforting her to try to ease her to sleep.

Ben watched the picture perfect moment before him; a wide grin spreading across his features. Watching his brother rock his baby girl was the most wholesome thing he'd ever seen; the most beautiful scene he could ever dream. He exhaled a laugh, leaning back so his weight was resting on his palms against the mattress, his shoulders slumping forward in a relaxed stance.

"I gotta say," Ben began, eyes soft with admiration, "I never thought I'd see the day: Klaus Hargeeves, a father?" Klaus hummed in response to his brother; never opening his eyes, simply too content in this moment of finally holding his daughter in his arms again.

"I know, who knew?" He whispered softly, smiling against the crown of his baby girl's head; her dark curls tickling against her daddy's lips. Riley's eyes drifted closed as she laid in her father's loving embrace, nestled snugly against his warm and inviting chest; while the resonating melody of his heartbeat ultimately soothed her to sleep. Klaus adjusted himself in the bed so his back was leant against the headboard as he just continued to hold his little princess; his smile never wavering or fading. He'd never felt so euphoric in his entire existence.

Riley brought so much joy; so much love, and light to his dark and dismal life.

Ben watched his brother cradling his baby girl keenly, a soft hum of approval resounding within his chest.

"She looks just like you." He stated carefully, quiet as to not wake the baby. Klaus hummed in response, his eyes opening into slits.

"Me?" He whispered, closing his eyes once more as he cuddled Riley closer; breathing in her newborn baby scent. "Nah, she's way better looking. Have you seen those dimples, or her beautiful blue eyes? She's _perfect_." Ben smiled as he watched Klaus rock his little girl, gently tracing his fingertips up and down her back while he hummed her a soft tune. Ben couldn't help but feel amazed at how gentle his brother was with his daughter, to tender and sweet.

"What song is that?" Ben asked, noting the familiar sound.

"Hmm? Oh, it's a Billy Joel song. I can't remember the name of it," Riley curled closer against her daddy's embrace, her little button nose pressing against the warmth of his neck. "You know, it's funny; I never pictured myself singing lullabies."

Ben's smile intensified as he absorbed this precious moment. He never would have pictured this to ever be possible, either. Yet here he was; privileged enough to witness such a momentous occurrence unfolding before his very eyes. A strong sense of satisfaction filled his chest; _pride_ for his brother.

He was so incredibly _proud_ of Klaus.

"Well, I'm pleased to say you're a natural." Ben affirmed, furthering his brother's establishment of confidence within himself. Klaus's smile deepened; his heart overflowing with love.

"Yeah, maybe I am."

—-

**Authors Note-** _Hope ya'll are enjoying this story!_

_Anyone who is curious, the song Klaus was humming to Riley was Lullabye (Goodnight My Angel) by Billy Joel. Beautiful song and a fitting match for them!_

_If you're reading and following along to this story I would LOVE to hear your thoughts and opinions on this! Let me know in the comments how this story makes you feel! Thank you to those of you who have favorited and followed, I appreciate you!_


	4. We Can Make It If We Try

Sadly, just two days later, Ben left for college. There were a lot of tears, hugging, and of course plenty of laughter. Ben hugged Riley tight; reminding her - or maybe himself - that this wasn't goodbye. He promised he would call her every day, and asked her to please, always think fondly of her favorite uncle Benny. Of course, he knew she was far too young to understand any of this, but _he_ would. Klaus's heart clenched when the finality of it all hit him; it would just be him and Riley now, all alone without anyone for them to turn to. While Klaus had always been accustomed to such a solitary existence himself; having his beautiful little girl changed all of that, and he was nervous that he alone wouldn't be enough for her.

The transition wasn't easy; going from having constant assistance from Ben, someone to go to for advice, or even just to have for moral support, and having it suddenly shift into having no one but himself; well, it was hard.

_But Riley made it all worth it._

With all of the hustle, and bustle, and swirling emotions happening around them, it was easy to forget such tiny, minuscule tasks; such as remembering to re-stock upon groceries, diapers or even formula for Riley. It was no one's fault that something so diminutive went so easily skirted under the rug, or unnoticed. Although, having those things replenished prior to Ben's departure may have certainly made this transitional period a bit easier on Klaus.

He didn't mind at all, however. He was a grown man, certainly he could handle going shopping by himself with his little one. It couldn't possibly be too difficult to do-so with a baby, could it?

Unfortunately for Klaus, he found out rather quickly just how hard it could be.

The journey to the grocery store had its own set of drawbacks. The first one started back at the house; when the stroller Ben so thoughtfully gifted to his niece arrived in the mail. Klaus was ecstatic; what perfect timing. However, upon opening the package and finding that the contraption required assembly, well, that repugnant realization put quite the damper on Klaus's mood. He tried in vain to put the stroller together, but he simply wasn't skilled in such key abilities. Defeated, he decided he would try his luck again some other time; and opted to just carry Riley in her baby seat, instead.

Klaus didn't mind the walk to the store; the weather was rather nice for a mid October afternoon, aside from a few scattered clouds in the distance. It was a little on the breezy side, though, so he did opt to bundle Riley up in an extra blanket; which was a pity, as her adorable little pink onesie with ruffles on her shoulders was hidden from view. Klaus couldn't hide the smile that crept across his features, or the warmth that would fill his cheeks every time he'd look at his perfect baby girl.

_God, she was so cute..._

The store wasn't too far, only about six blocks from Ben's house. Klaus was familiar with walking to and fro all over the city, but carrying his daughter while doing so proved to be a bit of a struggle. He loved his little munchkin; but her weight combined with the weight of her carrier in his feeble arms proved to be a touch more difficult task than he anticipated. He didn't know how he was going to be able to carry her and all of the items they needed from the store home. Perhaps the employees of the store wouldn't mind if he borrowed a cart, just for a little while?

Nearly half way to the store, however, Riley's patience quickly wore thin. It started small; tiny whimpers with the occasional quick inhale of an exaggerated breath, but those tiny sputters quickly escalated into a full blown screaming cry.

At first Klaus tried desperately to soothe her, even going as far as to take her out of her carrier and rocking her in his arms for a while; but nothing seemed to calm his fussy little princess down. He figured she must just be hungry and decided to carry on, continuing towards their destination.

By the time they arrived, Riley was still utterly inconsolable; face bright red and fuming - her daddy's color wasn't too far off from her own.

Klaus didn't know if it was from her fussiness, or his lack of sleep since his brother's departure, but he himself felt rather distressed. He could feel his anxiety building within his chest, and his hands started to tremble as he passed through the automatic entryway into the grocery store. In fact, Klaus was so flustered, he completely bypassed the shopping carts entirely as he quickly navigated the aisles trying desperately to get this excursion over with as quickly as possible.

Klaus scuttled hurriedly down each aisle, collecting the necessities as he passed. He could feel the panic rising in his chest at each unwanted stare, or each unsolicited backhanded comment about his wailing baby girl. He was only one person, his hands were quite literally full, and therefore his options were tied. Of course he wished his sweet little princess wasn't so upset, and wished he could cradle her in his arms and comfort her; but the unwelcome criticism they were garnering from the other shoppers certainly weren't aiding the situation at all. He turned a corner, hands shaking; both from his anxious nature, and from juggling his precious angel. Not to mention all of the other collective products within his arms in search for the final item on his list: baby formula.

"Come on, come on, where's the damn formula." Klaus gritted through his teeth, eyes darting frantically over the product on the shelves. He spotted the sign over the top of the shelving for the next aisle over; it read 'Baby Food'. Surely the formula would be located on that aisle, as it _was_ food and a baby _would_, in fact eat it? He whipped around the corner, before coming face to face with the desired section. Klaus's jaw went slack; the amount of options for formula were staggering.

Milk based, soy based, ones for sensitive stomachs, or gassiness, or fussiness. There were ones that promote brain health, or heart health. One said it helped strengthen immunity, while another he swore promised to create a baby genius - there were too many options, too many different brands, too many confusing promises. Klaus didn't know which one was best for _his_ baby.

"Fuck, which one did Ben buy, why didn't I just keep the damn container!" He shifted his weight from one leg to the other trying to alleviate the pressure from all of the cumbersome weight within his arms off of his aching feet. His eyes finally landed on a package he recognized; it looked familiar enough, whether it was because it was the same one Ben bought for Riley, or because he saw it on a commercial he was unsure, but it looked promising enough, so he decided it would be the winner. Cautiously he reached for the gilded formula, tucking it beneath his arm before turning to approach the registers.

Thank god this was over, he didn't know how much longer he or Riley could stand to be stuck in this place. He made it nearly half way down the aisle when he realized he'd forgotten another important item on his list: food for _himself_.

"Shit." Riley's wailing continued to grow steadily louder, as did the pounding behind Klaus's temples. He made the decision to forgo that for now; he could go a day without food, he'd undoubtedly gone much longer than that in the past. Surely there were enough scraps back at the house he could construct into some form of a meal should he get hungry.

Riley's wailing intensified yet again, and Klaus's arms were beginning to hurt. Not to mention on top of everything else, all of the stress surrounding him was finally starting to set it. He didn't know why his emotions chose this moment to make themselves present, but he couldn't help himself. He started to panic; he could feel himself starting to have a meltdown alongside his daughter; he could only imagine what a sight they must be.

Frantic to escape this place so he could finally tend to his daughter and calm his own racing heart, Klaus quickly twirled on his heels and propelled himself forward. Perhaps he should have been more aware of his surroundings, or should have taken into consideration that he wasn't the only person on the aisle; but Klaus had always been a whirlwind of sorts, so it should have come to him as no surprise when he collided with a cart; causing him to cast all of his items from his arms, strewing them across the aisle. Klaus gasped, clutching Riley's carrier tightly against his abdomen as he stumbled a step back; panic tearing through his stomach.

"Sorry! I'm so sorry, fuck!" Klaus wrenched his eyes shut in an attempt to swallow back his tears; he was mere seconds away from a full blown panic attack. He didn't know why he was like this.

"Hey, no, please don't apologize," Started the other shopper, voice soft and somehow comforting. He inched himself forward towards Klaus, "that was totally my fault! Here, let me get that for you."

The kind shopper bent forward to collect the dispersed items from the floor, but Klaus shook his head, holding a hand up to stop him.

"No, I'm sorry, I should pick those up—"

"Hey, really, it's no problem at all. You've already got your hands full. Please, allow me." He continued his endeavor to gather the items; even bending down onto his knees to retrieve a packet of unopened pacifiers that slid beneath the shelves. He dusted them off on his pants before collecting the remaining items and returning to Klaus. His kind smile quickly shifted to a look of concern when he took in Klaus's nearly hyperventilating appearance.

"Woah, hey, are you okay?" He held the items in one arm as he extended his other to brace his hand against Klaus's shoulder. Klaus's eyes were tightly closed as he attempted and failed to calm his rapid breathing. Klaus didn't know why, but he suddenly couldn't control himself, and his feeling spilled out of his mouth as he unloaded his thoughts on this total stranger.

"No, not really," He began, opening his teary eyes; his gaze meeting the poor unsuspecting Good Samaritan's. "I'm sorry, I'm just kinda freaking out here. I'm a new dad, I have no help, and she's really fussy and colicky right now. I'm really sorry to unload all of this on you, I'm sure you don't care, I'm just really overwhelmed, and I don't know what to do—" The strangers face morphed into one of understanding.

"Woah, woah, calm down. Just take a deep breath." He instructed, trying desperately to calm the frantic man before him. Klaus exhaled a manic laugh as he rubbed at his teary eyes.

"_Pshyeah_, right, easier said than done." Riley's wailing continued on. Now that his hands were freed from the items he'd been carrying, Klaus was able to turn his attention to his daughter in hopes of calming her.

"Hey, shh princess, you're alright," He spoke softly as he set her carrier on the ground and knelt before her, rocking her gently in her seat; but her wails wouldn't stop. "Please baby girl, daddy's trying the best he can, I'm sorry." He sat on the floor, wiping the collection of tears from his eyes as he continued to rock her.

The stranger could see how stressful the situation was and decided he ought to intervene, offer some form of support or assistance. He placed Klaus's items from his arms into the seat of his shopping cart before kneeling beside Klaus on the ground.

"Mind if I try?" Klaus glanced at the man; he didn't know why this person seemed so keen on trying to help him.

"Unless you're some kind of a sorcerer, I don't know how you'll be able to help." The man simply shot Klaus a sympathetic smile before leaning over Riley's carrier. He opened his mouth wide, eyebrows climbing towards the ceiling before scrunching his face; pinching his features together while making silly sounds and funny voices. Klaus was amazed when Riley immediately began to calm; watching the stranger intently. He exhaled a sigh of relief, his tense muscles finally able to relax.

"Wow, thank you. Seriously, I don't know how you were able to do that so quickly." The stranger laughed, straightening himself so he was sitting upright to better address Klaus.

"No problem at all. I'm used to this; I'm a big brother, and my two sisters both have little ones of their own. All of my nieces and nephews are under the age of two. Needless to say, I'm a professional at getting kids to quiet down." The stranger polished his knuckles on his shoulder signifying how proud he was of this skill. Klaus laughed; a genuine smile gracing his lips. The stranger smiled back, extending his hand.

"I'm Dave." Klaus hesitated for a moment but eventually returned the gesture, shaking Dave's hand.

"Klaus."

Dave's smile was beautiful; he noted. It emphasized the deep inset dimples on his cheeks, and tugged at the skin around his bright blue eyes - odd, they reminded him of his daughter's. He didn't understand it; why was this man being so kind to him and his daughter? He didn't know them, didn't have any obligation to them, so why did he seem like he cared?

"What's this little princesses name?" Dave asked, once again leaning over Riley as he tickled her pudgy little legs, earning her to kick out and wave her arms excitedly. Klaus giggled; watching the man's innocent interaction with his daughter, it was heartwarming.

"This beautiful little angel is my daughter, Riley." Dave glanced over his shoulder at Klaus shooting him a smile before looking back to the precious baby, taking her wiggling hands gently within his own.

"Riley," He cooed, "what a pretty name for such a pretty little lady." Riley kicked her feet in agreement while her daddy blushed with pride. Dave finally stood up, extending his hand to Klaus to aid him off of the ground. Klaus smiled and nodded as he accepted Dave's offer, rising to his feet before picking Riley's carrier up from the floor.

"What do you say I help you bring your stuff to the register?" Dave asked, gesturing to Klaus's items in the seat of his cart. Klaus nodded happily.

"I say that'd be great, actually," He laughed, running his free hand through his curls. "Thanks, Dave."

"Of course."

Dave stayed with Klaus while he checked out at the register, and even helped carry his bags outside of the store. When they exited, Klaus's face fell. The weather had drastically shifted; heavy droplets of rain were pouring down as bright flares of lightning illuminated the dark inky sky.

"_Shit_!" Dave's eyes flickered to Klaus at his outburst.

"What's wrong?" He asked. Klaus ran his fingers through his hair, tugging lightly at the strands as he watched the water pooling in the parking lot.

"We walked here. I didn't even know it was supposed to rain, I don't have an umbrella or anything. I'm such an idiot!" He closed his eyes tilting his head back in defeat before shifting his gaze to his little girl's. "I'm so sorry baby girl. We are going to have to stay here just a little while longer to wait this storm out. Sorry princess, daddy is so sorry."

Dave could see the anguish on Klaus's face knowing he would be stuck away from home with his little girl during this storm.

"Hey," He began, unable to allow that to happen, "I could give you two a lift home."

There that man went again; being all nice to Klaus for no reason. Not that he didn't appreciate it, he just didn't understand how he should react. He wasn't accustomed to such pleasantries.

"Oh, no, really. I don't want to put you out of your way, you've already done more than enough—"

"Please, I can't just let that little angel sit here and wait for this to clear up, she looks hungry. Really, I don't mind at all. Wait here, I'll pull my car around."

Klaus wanted to protest, he wanted to tell Dave to take his kindness elsewhere and to just leave him and his shitty parenting skills alone; but he couldn't. Dave was right, Riley was hungry, and he couldn't make her wait any longer, she'd already waited long enough.

"Okay, fine. As long as you're sure you don't mind."

"Not at all," Dave smiled, his features tugging and showing off those perfect dimples of his again. "I'll be right back."

Dave took all of the groceries with him as he sprinted through the rain, holding his jacket over his head as a makeshift umbrella while he bolted for his vehicle. Klaus sighed as he watched him go. He still couldn't believe this total stranger was being so kind to him and his daughter. Klaus shifted his sights to his precious baby girl, his lips pursing in thought as he raised his eyebrows. He supposed now was as good a time as any to impart some form of a lesson into his little angel.

"Don't be like daddy. Don't accept rides from strangers; even if they do have pretty eyes and dimples—" He paused, shaking his head as Dave's handsome face danced within his thoughts. "_Especially_ if they have those things!"

A few moments passed; mist from the rain was blowing under the overhang of the grocery store, dampening Klaus's pale skin. He was thankful he brought the extra blanket for his little girl, as it provided warmth for her and kept her dry. He ran his free hand up and down his arm as he felt his body chill and begin to shiver. Headlights flooded under the little overhang as a truck pulled up in the loading bay. Dave exited the vehicle; opening a large oversized umbrella as he hurriedly approached Klaus and Riley. They smiled at each other as Dave held the umbrella over their heads, ushering them towards his awaiting vehicle.

Dave opened the back seat for Klaus who peered into the cabin of the truck, curiously eyeing the base for the baby seat. Dave noticed how he hesitated, so he gestured to Riley's carrier.

"My sister has the same one, this base will work, don't worry." Klaus's eyes glanced down at Riley before meeting Dave's again.

"It's not that, I'm sorry, I'm such an idiot. I don't know how to—" He held his hands up, miming connecting them together. Dave laughed as he patted his back.

"Don't worry, I've got her." He took Riley's carrier and set it into the base with ease, as it clicked into place before making sure she was comfortable for the drive home. He closed the door behind them before opening the front passenger seat for Klaus, holding the umbrella over his head for him as he climbed in. He closed the door for him before jogging around the front of his truck and climbing in himself. Dave shifted the truck into drive, pulling out of the parking lot and started down the road.

"Thank you again for this, we really appreciate it." Klaus stated, running his hands up and down his arms in an attempt to warm his trembling body.

"Sure thing, it's no problem at all." He glanced at Klaus, smile strung across his features before noticing his shaky form. He frowned, reaching for the dial on his dashboard, adjusting the temperature to heat. Klaus noticed the kind gesture and smiled in thanks, before curling his arms around his midsection and looking out the window.

"We're just two more blocks up on the right."

When they arrived at Ben's house, Dave helped Klaus carry the groceries inside so he could focus on carrying Riley. The rain thankfully had stopped by the time they got there, which made this task a lot easier for them all.

"You can just set them down on the counter, I'll get to them in a minute. Thanks again for all of your help." Klaus stated as he set Riley's carrier on the couch and quickly unfastened her, pulling her tiny little body into his welcoming arms.

Dave smiled and nodded while he did as he was instructed before peering around the home. It wasn't a huge house; but the floor plan made it seem so open and inviting. The kitchen was in the middle of the main living space; gray wood-like tile floors paved the entire area. The couch was a large plush blue sectional with an oversized matching ottoman. It looked very clean and well kept, aside from a few dirty dishes in the sink and the obvious copious amounts of baby items littered across the free counter space.

"You two live here alone? Where's her mother?" he asked. Klaus set Riley down on the couch as he quickly changed her soiled diaper.

"Oh, uh, we were never actually together," He paused, unsure of if he should bother informing Dave of all of his mistakes right off the bat. "This is my brother's place. He just left for college a few days ago, so it's just me and Riley now." He finished, fastening Riley's new diaper, and putting her onesie back on before pulling her back into his loving arms. "Isn't that right, princess? Just the two of us, huh sweetie. Yeah, yeah it is." He cooed to her, pressing her forehead against his own, his smile bright and filled with adoration as he held her little hand; her fingers wrapped around his thumb while he pulled her tightly against his chest. Dave smiled at Klaus and his baby girl before running his fingers through his tendrils of dirty blonde curls.

"Well, hey, I don't live very far from here. If you ever need any help, just give me a ring, alright?" Klaus peeled his sights away from his little princess as he glanced at Dave, their blue and green eyes converging together.

"Oh, Dave. No, uh, that's okay. I'm sorry, but, we don't want to bother you—" Dave smiled as he shook his head.

"You apologize too much, it's no bother at all. I've got some free time, and no offense; but you'll need all the help you can get - _especially_ while they're that young." Klaus's mouth opened to speak before closing into a firm smile. Dave just returned the smile, walking to the fridge and pulling a piece of stationary off of it. Taking the coordinating pen into his hands, he promptly jotted his phone number down before handing it to Klaus.

"I'm serious, don't hesitate to call if you need any help, okay?" His smile intensified as he looked deep into Klaus's swirling pools of emerald. "I'll see you two around?"

"Y-yeah," Klaus stumbled, nodding his head as he turned away from Dave, he could feel his cheeks reddening under his intense stare, "yeah, sure." Dave laughed as he patted his back. He gently rubbed his finger over Riley's soft skin of her little hand before turning to leave. Klaus looked into Riley's eyes; her giant blue orbs meeting him with child-like wonder. He turned to Dave just as he opened the front door.

"Oh, Dave," Dave stopped, fingertips resting against the door handle as he turned to face Klaus. "Thanks."

"Of course, any time." Dave smiled again while he nodded before waving goodbye to Riley. He exited the house, closing the door behind him.

Klaus busied himself with preparing a bottle for his precious baby girl. He checked the temperature before pressing it to his daughters eager lips. Klaus walked over to the oversized couch and delicately situated himself on in, propping his socked feet up onto the ottoman. He smiled down at Riley; the soft sounds of her sucking on her bottle filled the room. He giggled as he ran his thumb gently over the soft skin of her cheek.

"Daddy made a new friend today, didn't he sweetie?" He cooed to his daughter. Riley blinked her eyes as she continued to eat. "Should daddy keep in contact with Dave? He did leave us his phone number. Between you and me, I think he just wants to keep in touch with you. Who could blame him, really. You _are_ adorable, after all." He laughed as she grabbed onto his pinky finger, her blue eyes staring intently at his green ones.

Klaus was torn. Dave seemed so kind, so sweet and like he actually cared about them. Which was odd, as he didn't even know them at all. He didn't know if it would be wise to trust him, though. After all, he was just a stranger he met in a grocery store. He didn't know if he was genuinely a good person, or if he was some psychotic murderer. Then again, something about those dimples, and the kindness behind his beautiful blue eyes made Klaus instantly feel so comfortable around him. Made him feel like maybe he could trust him? He didn't know if it was because his features reminded him so much of his own daughter's - their eyes and dimples matched so perfectly, after all - or if it was simply because Dave showed them something no one else ever had his entire life aside from his brother: kindness.

Dave was so overwhelmingly pleasant, Klaus honestly didn't know how he should respond. Riley grasped his finger tighter, pulling Klaus away from his thoughts. He needed to put Riley's well being before his own.

"No, you're probably right," He began, propping the bottle up for her to be able to drink better from it, "we don't need no man, huh princess?" Riley wiggled her loose arm, bringing it around to latch onto Klaus's finger so she was holding onto him with both of her tiny little hands. He smiled down at her lovingly.

"Yup, baby girl, that's right. Just the two of us, we only need each other."

**Authors Note:_ Hey, if you're reading and enjoying this, I as a writer crave validation! LOL if you like this story please, leave a comment and let me know! I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions! Please and thank you!_**

**I hope you'll continue to enjoy! :)**


	5. Help! I Need Somebody—Not Just Anybody!

_'Hey, Ben, it's me, Klaus. Just calling to say Riley and I miss you - as you can probably tell by her crying. Well, anyways, I know you're busy with school, so, I won't keep you, but uhh.. I just wanted to say that we are really proud of you, bro. But, I guess I'll just talk to you later. Riley sends her love.'_

_'Hey, it's just me again. Sorry I keep pestering you, but hey, it wouldn't be me if I didn't, right? I learned today that Riley is not a fan of bath time. I thought her head was going to explode when I laid her in the cute little elephant tub you bought her; I wish you could have seen her face. Sorry she doesn't like it - it's not the tubs fault, it's probably just me. I'll have to look up tips on how to bathe her properly. Well, anyways, speaking of dirty babies, she needs to be changed - pee-ew! She misses you...we miss you. Bye, Ben.'_

_'Me again, wow, school must be really sucking you dry! Damn man, that sucks. We understand though. Sorry I keep calling you all the time; and before you say or think it, it's okay that you haven't called back - really, we are fine. I just miss you, and talking to you - even like this - is kinda therapeutic for me. Riley has been having difficulty sleeping the last few days, and well, if she doesn't sleep...I don't sleep...reaching out to even your machine is helping a lot. Really, I mean it. Thanks, man. I hope you're doing well, Riley misses her favorite uncle. Oh! She uhh.. she wanted me to tell you she's kept her promise, and she can't wait till she can hold you again. Well, I should go, I gotta try to get this little pipsqueak to sleep. Talk to you soon, we love you, bro.'_

_'Hey, man, it's me again, sorry I missed your call! I guess this is what phone tag is, huh? Seriously though, don't feel bad about not calling sooner, you're busy. Besides, you called now, didn't you? That's all that matters. So stop apologizing! I gotta say, it was really nice to hear your voice. I miss you, Benny...so, uh, wow, I don't know how you ever got this kid to sleep when I was sick, she is impossible! She's lucky she's cute and you can't send a baby back. You know, no receipt, and all that. I swear she hasn't stopped crying for four days. I love her, but sometimes I wish she would just shut up..sorry, I guess I'm just tired. I shouldn't be like that, this isn't her fault... but, anywhooo, uh..you know, I forgot what I was going to say...I guess I'll call you back if I can remember it? Aw shh shh princess, daddy's almost done. Are you hungry, sleepy? I wish you were sleepy...oh, sorry about that, Ben, I, uh...I just got distracted. I'll just talk to you later I guess, but, uh, kick school's ass...we miss you, Benny. Hopefully I catch your call next time, we are bound to get the timing right one of these days...'_

_'You know, I picked up this phone ready to tell you all about my day, but there's really not much to tell. Riley hasn't slept for five days...neither have I, and I'm...I'm exhausted, honestly. I'm feeling overwhelmed, nothing I do seems to work. Just goes to show I was right about my parenting skills - if I was being graded I'd get an A for effort, but an F for accomplishment, since I can't seem to do anything right. I don't know what to do, Ben. I'm so...so tired, and Riley apparently has an unlimited energy source, and likes to showcase it by screaming bloody murder at all hours of the day. She's only quiet when she eats. I can't set her down or she cries, I just...I'm sorry, I...fuck, how do I delete a message again?'_

Klaus hit the pound key; erasing the evidence of his last message. He didn't need to drag Ben into this pit of despair along with him. He replaced the phone back onto it's receiver, ending the call and stepping away, cradling a fussy Riley against his chest. He rubbed at his bloodshot eyes as he cooed to her, trying anything to soothe his cranky daughter to sleep.

Klaus sat on the couch, curling his knees to his chest as he rocked Riley in hopes that she would finally calm down. He pressed his cheek against the crown of her head and just sang to her, talking to her, begging her to please, just go to sleep; they both needed to rest.

It'd been five days since their shopping excursion, and Riley hadn't stopped fussing much since. She would cry, and scream anytime Klaus would try to set her down; which made simple everyday tasks rather difficult. He was happy at least that sometimes during the day Riley would tucker herself out, and finally blissfully fall asleep to the sound of his heartbeat. He was happy for her, really. The poor princess earned her sleep, but he couldn't help the frustration building within his chest. Whenever he went to set her down; whether it be to rest in her crib, or her Pack 'N Play she would instantly awaken and begin her tyranny all over again. It would be almost comical, if he weren't so damn tired himself. So Klaus would hold her; rock her until she'd fall asleep once again, and just continue to hold her. It was all he could do to keep her calm.

_Klaus only wished he could sleep, too..._

Klaus was exhausted; completely and utterly drained of any energy. He was running on fumes; five days with no rest, and his entire being could feel the repercussions. Klaus had never been more tired in his entire life; which was really saying something, considering his rather checkered past. This was somehow so much different, though. He never would have thought being a parent would be so hard; but Riley was worth it, he knew she was. Even with all of this he still would never trade any of it for the world, he just loved her so much. Deep down he knew with every challenge would come an even greater reward- but it had to get better than this; it had to.

It didn't help their situation at all that now with his body being clean; free of any tainted substances flooding his veins; the ghosts were much louder as well. Their voices haunting him, looming over him, watching his every move. If there ever was a long enough period where Riley would rest, Klaus would try his best to curl up on the couch with her and close his eyes, if even for just a few moments only for the ghosts to jerk him awake.

_He was so tired..._

Klaus swore if he didn't get some sleep soon he would have a stroke; which maybe he was being dramatic, but that was truly how he felt. Frankly, if Klaus was being completely honest with himself, he didn't know how much longer he could go on like this; or how much more of this he could take.

Klaus's eyelids felt like they were lead lined; like they were attached to anchors that were trying desperately to pull them down deep into the depths of unconsciousness. It took everything he had to fight that feeling off just to stay afloat. He kept nodding off, his head dipping, or his shoulder sagging against the cushions of the couch just for the shrieking voices of the damned to scream in his face; jolting him back into consciousness. Every time he did so, however, it would also startle his daughter awake, just starting the vicious cycle of them both battling against sleep once more. It was bad enough these ghouls haunted him, but now it was as though they haunted his daughter, as well. He couldn't stand it. He could never find any redemption; if it wasn't the guttural howls of the dead keeping him awake, it was the pitiful wailing of his daughter.

Riley cried vehemently; bellowing, boomingly loud, it was heart wrenching. His head was pounding from the sheer noise of it all. Of course, his depleted vigor certainly wasn't helping much either. With each raspy cry she emitted, Klaus became a millisecond closer to crying right along with her.

After the third time in a twenty minute span of almost dropping his precious baby girl, nearly passing out himself, Klaus knew he couldn't do this any longer. He needed something, or rather, _someone_ to distract him. He just needed someone to talk to, and help keep him awake. If he could just carry a conversation with someone, and have the satisfaction of them actually talking _back_, he would be okay, he knew he would.

Klaus cradled Riley's tiny whimpering form close to his heart as he slowly eased his fatigued body off of the couch. He stood there; rooted to the spot for a moment, just to collect himself, steady his breathing and focus his weary mind so he could process a clear thought. He was so tired, even this was difficult for him, but he needed to call someone, anyone at all. He needed help; _they_ needed help.

When he felt grounded enough to take a step, he cautiously made his way into the kitchen where his rather minuscule list of contacts hung. Leaning forward to better view the listing of numbers, Klaus pressed his index finger to it as he squinted his eyes to focus on the names.

There were only three listed...

He would call Ben, but upon glancing at the clock and realizing it was well after midnight and knowing he surely had class in the morning, he couldn't bring himself to disturb him. Which only left him two other options.

Diego or Dave...

Diego was his brother, and while he wanted nothing more than to pick up that phone and give his brother a call, he feared that would be a terrible mistake. Last he'd seen or spoken to Diego he'd told Klaus he didn't want to be a part of his life anymore. Calling him at this hour would surely only agitate his brother further. Diego was still his family though; and while not by flesh and blood, they'd been extremely close once. He longed for them to be that way again. Perhaps now was not the best time for such sentiments, though.

Dave on the other hand was a complete stranger; a man Klaus met by chance, and yet somehow showed him more compassion in the short span of time they'd been in contact than Klaus had received his entire life by anyone else he'd ever known - apart from Ben. Dave was an anomaly; a kind face, with a caring heart. Someone who without even knowing Klaus, offered him a helping hand and told him should he ever need it again, not to hesitate to call and he would be there. Dave was a wild card; as friendly as he may seem, Klaus didn't know how much of his demeanor was truthful and how much of it was an act. Of course, he hoped his intentions were good; kind, like his eyes.

Klaus held Riley close, gently massaging circles into the delicate skin of her back as he pondered his options. He felt that the decision should be an obvious one; surely his brother, in truth, was the proper answer, but he just feared the unknown of what would transpire once Diego became aware of Riley's existence. Klaus didn't trust that Diego would find him capable of caring for his daughter; and maybe he would be right, but he didn't need his judgmental, unsavory advice. He just needed someone who would flash him a caring smile and at least pretend that this entire situation was okay. Klaus groaned, pinching his eyes shut as he pressed his lips to the top of his precious baby girl's head.

He wished he could ask her for advice, surely she would know the right answer.

"Princess don't be anything like daddy; trusting strangers more than your own family. If you grow up to be nothing like me, you'll be just fine." Klaus took the phone into his shaky hands; dialing Dave's number before pressing it to his ear. He held his breath as it began to ring. The phone rang three times before Dave finally answered; his voice groggy, as he was still mostly asleep.

"Hello?"

"Dave?" Klaus's voice was soft and unsteady, his exhaustion showing through.

"Klaus? Is that you? Are you okay?" Dave's voice suddenly seemed much more alert, evidently picking up on the anguished tone behind Klaus's small voice. Klaus didn't know why, but as soon as he heard Dave speak his emotions overwhelmed him and he all but broke down.

"I-I'm so sorry for calling you so late at night, I'm just at my wits end here," Klaus began, a sob shaking his weary form as he vigorously wiped the tears from his eyes, "I can't get her to settle for more than 20 minutes at a time, she's so fussy..and I...I just need some help, can you come over? I'm so sorry, I know it's a lot to expect from you. I just need you to distract me so I don't fall asleep. That's all I need, please."

Dave could _feel_ Klaus's pain through the phone, he knew how badly he must be suffering to ask for help. In the small period of time he spent with him in the grocery store, Klaus had been very against accepting any form of assistance - now he was damn well begging for it; which just showed how desperately he truly needed it. Dave knew he had to do whatever he could to help him.

"Hey, hey it's okay. Calm down, I'll be right there, okay?"

"Thank you." Klaus inhaled a sharp breath, his lips trembling as more tears slid down his flushed cheeks while he hung up the phone. He couldn't form the proper words to express his gratitude, he only hoped Dave knew just how thankful he truly was.

On weary, unsteady legs he returned to the sofa, propping himself upright in the corner as he tucked Riley comfortably beneath his chin. He rocked her, whispering softly to his precious baby girl while rubbing circles into her back as he peered wide eyed around the room.

He couldn't control the trembling of his body; both from his sheer exhaustion, and from his downright _fear_. They were surrounded by the souls of the dead; the victims of the horror within Ben. Klaus wondered if his brother knew how many spirits lingered; haunting him, seeking their revenge. He took in a deep breath, wrenching his eyes shut to try to block out their disfigured faces; so many macabre, ghastly features watching him, reaching out to him, trying to harm him.

"They can't touch you, Klaus. They may as well not even be real," He had to remind himself, "They can't touch her, she's safe." He had to say it out loud or he knew he wouldn't believe it. Riley was in his arms, she was safe, he would never allow anything to harm her. They couldn't touch her - _they couldn't_ \- he wouldn't let them.

He opened his eyes and they were closer; so close he swore he could almost feel their putrid breath against his sweat laden skin. If Klaus was thankful for anything at all in that moment; he was incredibly grateful that it appeared he hadn't passed this curse onto his daughter; seeing faces unseen. She didn't seem to notice them, and Klaus swore if there _was_ a god, he would thank them for not forcing such an insufferable ability onto his baby girl. That they saved her from such a terrible fate. He would thank them for their mercy.

He closed his eyes trying desperately to ignore the gruesome figures before him, anxiously gnawing his lips until the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth. They were calling for him, cursing his name, threatening his beautiful baby girl and he couldn't take it.

He whimpered, burying his forehead against Riley.

"Please..please stop, just go away," He begged, pleading for them to leave them be. "Just go!"

Klaus couldn't hear anything besides the shrieks of the dead, muddled with the cries of his daughter, and the horrified echoing of his own heart. He hadn't realized when there was a knock on the front door, nor had he noticed when it opened. His heart nearly tore out of his chest when he felt a hand against his shoulder; panic all but ripped him to shreds at the thought of one of _them_ actually making contact with his skin. His eyes flew open as his body tensed, his arms protectively wrapping around his precious baby girl as he bolted forward only for Dave's strong yet gentle hands to steady him, easing him back against the couch. He was panting now, drenched in sweat from the anxiety within his chest; the horror of the possibility of the dead touching him - the fear of them being able to touch his daughter.

"Holy shit, are you okay?" Dave's eyes were blown wide with worry, panic streaming across his features. Once Klaus realized that it wasn't the hands of the dead gripping him, but Dave's very real, very much alive hands his body physically relaxed, slumping against his grip. They were safe; _Riley was safe_, they couldn't touch her. Dave steadied him, as he braced his palm against his upper back.

"Klaus, easy, seriously, are you okay?" Klaus blinked his eyes to focus his vision; he shrugged away from Dave's touch straightening his posture on the couch while he clutched Riley's crying frame against his heaving chest.

"I-I'm fine," He shrugged his own well being to the side; Dave wasn't there for him, he was there for his daughter, "it's Riley, she's barely slept for five day's, I don't know what to do." Dave's eyebrows furrowed as he took in Klaus's ragged appearance.

"Klaus, you look awful, when was the last time you slept?" Klaus laughed humorlessly, flinching when a specter flashed before his face; watching him with their gruesome eyeless sockets within their pulverized skull.

"Care to take a wild guess?"

Dave's face fell.

"Klaus, you haven't slept in five days?" Klaus wrenched his eyes shut, his lips tugging into a sorrowful frown.

"No, not really. Unless you count the three times I nodded off while holding her," His lips trembled as he tugged his fingers of his free hand through his greasy hair, "I'm a fucking terrible father, I can't even get her to sleep."

"Klaus, no," Dave placed his hands over Klaus's shuddering shoulders, earning him to flinch against his touch. "You're just exhausted. Here," Dave gestured for Klaus to hand him Riley. At first he hesitated, unsure if it would be safe, but at this moment, anything was safer than being in Klaus's arms. He was just so damn tired. So he obliged; handing his wailing baby girl to Dave.

Dave swaddled Riley tightly within her blanket, cooing to her as he rocked her to try to coax her to sleep. Klaus would be damned, but she started to calm. Dave was able to accomplish within mere minutes what he'd failed to do for five days. He watched them with mixed emotions. He felt joy; so incredibly happy that his sweet little princess was finally able to relax and calm, quickly working her way towards sleep; but he also felt jealous, knowing it was Dave who was able to get her to do-so while _he_ couldn't. He wanted to be angry - not at Dave - but at _himself_ for failing his beautiful little girl once _again_, but he was just so tired, he didn't have the energy to be. Dave saw the exhaustion on Klaus's face.

"Klaus, you should really go to bed. You need to rest, you look like you're about to topple over."

Klaus squeezed his eyes shut, his weary frame toggling dizzily where he sat against the couch.

"I feel like it, too."

"Here," Dave frowned, laying a steadying hand beneath his elbow, "let's get you to bed. Riley and I will be fine out here, I've got her for a while. You need to take care of yourself to take care of your daughter, Klaus." Klaus opened his eyes into slits eyeing Dave tiredly.

He wanted to protest, wanted to say no, say that he was fine, he could stay up. He _really_ wanted to tell Dave the truth; that he may not be able to sleep anyways because there were just so many terrifying apparitions everywhere he turned; _too_ _many_. He found that he couldn't, though. He was just too tired to fight it anymore. Dave was right; he needed to try to rest. He needed to sleep, he _needed_ to.

Klaus finally nodded his head accepting Dave's help; so Dave smiled and helped Klaus to his feet. He couldn't believe how worn down he was. Klaus's body was trembling, his breathing ragged and his steps unsteady. Five days with no rest; he wondered why he hadn't just asked him for help sooner? He couldn't focus on that though. Right now all that mattered was ensuring he rested and that Riley was cared for and could rest, too. He needed to take care of both of them. Dave kept a supportive hand on Klaus the entire trek to his bedroom, honestly afraid that should he let go Klaus would collapse from sheer exhaustion. He helped ease his weary frame down onto his bed and even tucked him in. When he left the room, Klaus asked him to leave the light on. Dave didn't question it, only obliged before telling him goodnight and closing the door.

Dave went back out into the living room and propped himself against the cushions of the couch while he cradled Riley's tiny body in his arms. He smiled at her, her cherubic cheeks tinged pink from all of her crying. She was still whimpering just a tiny bit but seemed to finally be relaxing. He was happy she seemed to finally have settled down, but he was sad she couldn't have done this for her father.

"You gotta calm down, sweetie. You're stressing your poor daddy out. Listen," He began, gently wiping her tears away from her perfect blue eyes, "I know all of this is strange and new to you, but it is for your daddy, too. Cut him some slack, yeah?"

Riley kicked her feet while she made a loud babbling sound earning a soft giggle from Dave. He took her tiny little hand within his own, running his finger delicately over her satiny soft skin.

"Aw, come on. He's trying his best. You know, princess; you're small now, but one day when you're older you'll see how hard your daddy has worked for you. He's trying so hard and he loves you so much. Just, try to go easy on him, okay?" Riley clutched onto Dave's finger, vigorously shaking her arm up and down. He laughed accepting her '_handshake_'. "Perfect, thanks sweetie. I know he will appreciate it. Now, let's get you to sleep."

Funnily enough it didn't take Dave too long to get Riley to sleep. She must have been exhausted, too. He settled her inside of her Pack 'N Play cautiously; hopeful she wouldn't stir. He shot up a silent prayer when she didn't. With everyone inside the house unconscious but himself, Dave decided to make himself useful and help Klaus with other tasks around the house. He figured he may as well, he didn't have anything else to do and he was fully awake now. So he went into the kitchen and started filling up the sink with hot water so he could clean the dishes. He frowned, noting that the only dishes to be cleaned seemed to all be Riley's. Dave worried if Klaus had been eating at all. He made a mental note to rectify that before adding soap into the water and getting to work. He busied himself with meticulously cleaning every bottle and pacifier before he wiped down the counters.

While he dried his hands on the hand towel he noticed the unassembled stroller in the corner of the dining room. He recognized it as the same one his sister had, as he had been the one to put it together for her. He went to it, quietly dragging it out into the living room and started to assemble it. Dave sat on the floor, while he laid out all of the pieces and started to attach the axels to the stroller.

"What are you doing?" Came Klaus's soft voice, he was standing in the hallway leaning heavily against the door frame still looking just as tired as ever. Dave startled, but quickly composed himself.

"Me? Klaus, why are you up? You should be in bed." Klaus traipsed lazily over to Dave before tiredly plopping himself on the floor across from him.

"I can't sleep," He started, rubbing at his hooded eyes to emphasize, "you didn't answer my question. Are you...are you building my stroller for me?" He leaned forward to examine Dave's handy work.

"I am, but Klaus, you really need to go to bed. I mean this with utmost respect; you look like shit." Klaus laughed breathily as he dragged his fingers through his hair, tugging gently.

"Yeah, well, I feel like it too. Easier said than done though, I'm afraid." He hunched forward resting his elbows in his lap and resting his chin in his hands. "Go on, continue. Don't let me stop you. Thank you, though. Really, you didn't have to do this." Dave shot him a smile as he snapped the front wheels into place.

"It's no problem at all, I—" He paused noticing when Klaus's body went rigid as though he had seen something that frightened him. Dave's lips tugged into a frown; worried that Klaus had worked himself so thin he was hallucinating.

"Klaus, you should really go back to bed. You're exhausted."

"I'm fine, Dave—"

"No, you aren't," Dave extended his arm to Klaus, laying his hand over his trembling knee earning the tired man to look at him. "Klaus, you're going to make yourself sick if you don't rest. I promise everything is fine out here, please go to bed. If not for you, do it for her." He gestured over to Riley's slumbering form, "She needs her daddy to be in fully functioning condition. You can't do that if you exhaust yourself. Now, go on. Go to bed."

Klaus seemed to take his words to heart. Dave knew it may have been a low blow to drag Riley's name into this, but Klaus desperately needed to get some sleep. Klaus finally nodded before slowly rising to his feet and starting back towards his bedroom. He turned the corner before swiveling to face Dave once more.

"But, what if—"

"Klaus, go," Dave laughed, shooting the man a smile. "We will still be here when you wake up in the morning. Now, go to sleep." Klaus nodded wandering back down the hall. Dave returned his attention to the stroller, fixing the rear wheels into place.

"You know," Klaus was back again, "if you need to sleep, I could—"

"Go to bed, Klaus." Dave stated firmly. Klaus opened his mouth to retort but Dave pointed towards his bedroom, signaling to leave.

"But—"

"Bed."

Klaus left and Dave watched the hall until he heard his bedroom door close. He waited a minute to make sure Klaus wouldn't decide to come back out again. Once he heard the shifting sound of his body sprawling on the mattress he deemed it safe to continue working on the stroller.

It didn't take long to finish assembling it, just popping the final wheel on and screwing a few washers into place and it was ready to roll. Just in time, really, as Riley started to sputter in her sleep. Dave had enough experience with his nieces and nephews to recognize her hiccuping cry to be an '_I need to be changed_' cry. He wheeled the now fully assembled stroller back to its previous resting place in the dining room before returning to change Riley.

"Alright little lady, someone needs a new diapey." He scooped Riley into his arms and gently settled her onto the couch, removing her onesie and her soiled diaper. He cleaned her up, fastening a new diaper onto her tiny little frame before going to replace her onesie.

"Aw, this one's damp sweet pea. Where does daddy keep your clothes?" Dave gathered Riley into his arms, standing up in search for a new article of clothing. He found a laundry basket filled with onesies and plucked an adorable little violet number out of the pile before he returned to the couch and dressed Riley's wriggling form.

"You're a wiggle worm!" Dave laughed. He scooped her back into his arms and held her, cooing to her while he rubbed her back. She nuzzled close against his touch, her forehead pressing just below his chin. He smiled as he rocked her. "There you go, sweetie. Night night." He whispered as she fell asleep. He just held her for a few minutes to ensure she was sleeping before finally going to set her down for the night in her Pack 'N Play. As soon as he turned to leave, however, she instantly sprang awake; tiny cries wracking her form.

"Hey, shh shh princess, I'm still here, I didn't go anywhere," He picked her back up and she instantly settled, her eyes lulling closed. He laughed, "oh, you just wanna be held, is that it? Well, I'm not one to deny such a pretty lady what she wants. Okay, if you insist." He cradled her close, her tiny hands curled around the fabric of his shirt as she drifted back to sleep. He smiled as he sat on the first section of the couch, crossing his legs over the ottoman to make himself comfortable; he had a feeling he would be holding her a while. Dave gently rubbed her back, his own eyes growing heavy until the familiar sound of feet softly paddling against tile caught his attention.

"Klaus, go to—" Klaus entered the living room wrapped up tightly in his blanket.

"I heard her crying."

"She's okay, just wanted to be held. She's asleep - like _you_ should be." Klaus nodded, settling himself upon the couch. He laid himself down, propping his head against one of the many throw pillows that littered the oversized sectional.

"Still can't sleep?" Dave asked, eyebrows furrowing at Klaus's worn expression. Klaus shook his head.

"Nope. I'm just going to lay out here. If that's okay?"

"Of course. But, promise me you'll try to sleep. At least close your eyes." Klaus could only nod as he did as he was told.

Dave rocked Riley, but his eyes were on Klaus watching as he flinched and emitted the occasional groan. Dave frowned before Riley started to stir. Both Dave and Klaus's eyes opened at the sound of her sudden whimpers.

"Aww shh shh sweetie, you're okay." Dave hugged her close to his heart as he started to sing.

"Goodnight my angel time to close your eyes, and save these questions for another day," Dave softly sang to Riley while he rocked her, his fingers gently trailing soothing circles against her tiny back. Klaus lifted his weary head and peered at Dave, a soft smile tugging at his lips.

"That's..that's the same lullaby I always sing to her." Dave paused, his blue eyes meeting Klaus's vibrant green ones.

"I sing this to my nieces and nephews all the time. I love this song."

"Me too."

Both men exchanged a smile before Klaus settled his tired body back down against the couch while Dave continued to sing.

Klaus smiled as he listened. He closed his eyes, absorbing the soft sweet tone of Dave's tender voice. At that moment he was able to forget about the ghosts; he was able to forget about all of his anxiety and finally allow his tense muscles to relax while visions of his daughter's precious, perfect little face danced within his memories.

He was finally able to sleep.

—

**Authors Note-**_ Thank you all sooooo much for your lovely comments last chapter! I seriously loved reading each one, you guys are amazing! I appreciate you! I hope you'll all continue to read and enjoy this story! If you do, please keep letting me know in the comments! It encourages me to update this for you all! And just makes me so incredibly happy! Thank you all again! Also, be sure to check out my other stories if you enjoy my writing! I am participating in the "Bad Things Happen Bingo" prompt list from tumblr, so be sure to check my stories if any of that tickles your fancy! :P_

_Thank you all again! :)_


	6. How Do You Like Your Eggs?

When Klaus woke up the sun was just beginning to peek through the drawn shades in the living room; bursting the room to life with shimmering hues of golden light. He quickly recognized that everything surrounding him was once again quiet and still; no more screaming, no more ghosts—just the peaceful murmurs of his daughter's hushed breathing and Dave's gentle snores. His eyes fluttered, attempting to adjust to this new coherent state of wakefulness as he stretched his tired limbs. He yawned as he turned his head, shifting his sight towards the other end of the couch. The image that greeted his vision caused his lips to instantly tug into a smile, warmth filling his cheeks.

Dave was curled up on the couch sleeping soundly, his back propped up against the arm rest. He had pillows encircling his frame like the guard rails of a crib would be. He had Riley's perfect slumbering form resting comfortably atop his chest; his hands wrapped around her in a delicate yet protective embrace. They both were snuggled together beneath a fluffy fleece throw blanket; the tufts of the fabric ruffled against Riley's velvety soft skin with each steady breath Dave took. Klaus only wished he had a camera to capture this precious moment. His smile intensified as he absorbed the delicate scene before him, he would just have to settle for recording it to his memory, instead. He couldn't get over it, they both looked so comfortable, so serene, so..._beautiful_.

Klaus laid there simply marveling in this peaceful moment—until the phone rang; immediately tanking any semblance of tranquility into a mire of panic. Klaus's heart plummeted into his stomach as he quickly scrambled to his feet to silence the noxious sound, careful as he could to not disturb the slumbering figures on the couch. He plucked the phone from the receiver and cupped it to his ear, lowering his voice as he spoke.

"Hello?"

"Klaus! Oh man, finally!" Ben began, voice shrill with excitement. "I'm so sorry we haven't gotten a chance to talk yet, my schedule at school has been crazy!"

"Benny, I already told you it's okay, I understand," He spoke so softly, his voice merely a whisper. "It's so good to hear your voice, man. Fuck, I miss you."

"I miss you guys too! Why are you whispering, is Riley sleeping?"

Klaus smiled as he watched his daughter's content features twitch against the skin of Dave's bare chest, her fingers furling and uncurling the fabric of the blanket in her perfect little hands. Klaus gripped the material of his shirt above his chest; his heart fluttering with an immense sense of adoration. Witnessing her sleep so peacefully after watching her suffer for nearly a week brought such an overwhelming sensation of joy to his heart, he was so thankful to finally see her resting so soundly.

"Yeah. Yeah, she is."

"Oh, thank god," Ben exhaled a sigh of relief, "Klaus, your voicemails were worrying me, man. I'm so happy to hear she finally got some shut eye. How about you, are you okay? You sound exhausted, have _you_ gotten any sleep? Be honest with me, you know I can tell when you're lying."

Klaus smiled as he exhaled a laugh through his nostrils, Ben's thoughtful concern warming his heart. His lips began to tremble, however, as the memories of the past five days of pure agonizing hell he'd just endured orbited around in his thoughts. Honestly, the few measly hours of sleep he's managed to get hadn't made up for the days of rest he'd lost to the unending torment from the souls of the dead. He still felt the pull of exhaustion and wanted nothing more than to curl back up and go to bed, at least for a few more hours. Ben didn't need to know that, though. Besides, Ben was here now, talking to him just as he'd longed for him to be since the moment he'd left. He couldn't waste this valuable time worrying him over his own deficiency of rest. He wasn't going to lose out on this coveted time with his brother just because he was tired. He would just have to wait a little while longer, then he could go back to sleep.

"Yeah, I've slept. I'm good, Benny. Really."

"You sure? You just sound so tired, Klaus. How much sleep have you gotten? Are you remembering to eat? Don't forget, you need to take care of yourself to—"

"Take care of my daughter. I know, Ben. I know." Klaus interjected groggily. He silently laughed as he ran his palm down his face. "I slept last night for, I don't know," He peered through his parted fingers and glanced at the clock on the stove, yawning as he answered. "About four, five hours? And I'm eating breakfast as we speak. I'm okay, I promise. How are _you_? Tell me about school, making any new friends?"

"School is, well, it's school. Nothing too exciting. Just extremely time consuming. God, I just feel so bad I'm not there for you two. I still can't believe how hard this week has been for you. I'll be honest, I got really worried this morning when I saw I had a missed call from you yesterday but no voicemail. You can't scare me like that, Klaus. Thank god you two are okay."

"Sorry about that," Klaus began, he ran his fingers through his hair before resting his hand at the nape of his neck. He pressed his shoulder against the wall so he could keep his eyes on the two slumbering figures in the living room. "I just got distracted and forgot to leave one. Don't worry, Benny, we are fine. Seriously, I promise. We miss you so much."

"I miss you guys, too. Will you give Rile's a kiss for me? Remind her I love her?"

"Of course."

"What are you eating?"

"Hmm?" Klaus asked, taken aback by Ben's sudden question.

"You said you were eating breakfast, what are you having?" Ben prodded. Klaus didn't know what to say at that moment. Truthfully, the last five days were just one giant blur. If he was being entirely honest with himself, he couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten anything at all. Not that he was avoiding it; it was just easy to forget about something as minuscule as remembering to eat with all of the stress surrounding him. Especially after spending the last decade with food being the least important priority on his list.

Dave sucked in a deep breath; his chest expanding while his grip gently tightened around Riley's tiny figure, his legs sprawled out in a stretch. He was beginning to wake up; surely Riley wouldn't be far behind.

"I'm eating..uh, eggs."

"Oh, good. Eggs are an _egg-cellent_ source of protein, perfect for a balanced diet—"

"Wow, Ben. I'd expect a hellacious _yolk_ like that from me, but from _you_?" He snickered at the laugh that he earned from his brother. He noticed as Dave started to peer around the room, the top of his dirty blonde curls bobbing over the edge of the sofa. "Hey, uh, I hate to cut this short, really I do, but Riley's waking up. I should probably go. I'll talk to you soon?"

"Of course! I gotta go anyways, my class is about to start. I'll try to call you back later tonight?"

"I'll look forward to it. We love you, Ben."

"I love you guys, too."

"Did someone mention breakfast?" Came Dave's drawled voice, thickly laden with sleep. Klaus laid the phone back on it's hook before turning his focus to the tired man in his living room.

"Yeah, you hungry? I guess I'm making eggs."

Klaus walked over to the refrigerator and quietly swung open the door to peer inside before plucking the carton of eggs out and setting them down on the counter. He busied himself with searching for a pan to cook them in. Truthfully, he was more tired than hungry at this moment, but he had a guest over; the least he could do was fix Dave some breakfast to thank him for all of his help.

Dave had to stifle a laugh at the sound of Klaus's floundering inside of the kitchen, his audible 'ow' when he dropped something certainly made his morning, and it had only just begun. Riley yawned as her tiny little limbs stretched before curling back up tightly against her body; her brilliant blue eyes searching aimlessly until they found Dave's. He smiled down at her, smoothing the disarray of curls atop her velveteen head. Dave bundled her tiny little frame into his arms while he sat up on the couch and rose to his feet.

"Klaus, you sit and relax, let me handle that."

Klaus peeled his eyes from the drawer he was rifling through in search of a fork before making eye contact with Dave.

"Dave, please, you've done more than enough," He began, laying a fork on the counter and closing the drawer to better address the man before him. "Seriously, thanks so much for last night, you're a lifesaver. I literally think one of us, if not _both_ of us would have spontaneously combusted from stress if it weren't for you." Klaus flayed his hands in the air, mimicking the sound of an implosion. The two men exchanged a laugh.

"Don't mention it," Dave smiled at Klaus as he entered into the kitchen holding a calm, sleepy Riley in his arms. "Now, sit. Breakfast is my specialty, you just relax."

"Dave, I slept a solid four hours last night, I'm great. You, on the other hand, barely slept at all—"

"Klaus, four hours in five days is not well rested. I've been lucky enough to sleep every day this week, while you have not. I'm fine. Besides, I'm wide awake. Now, _sit_ _down_. You need to take it easy."

Klaus didn't know what to say. He wasn't accustomed to anyone forcing him to just sit and relax. Normally he would be against such an asinine request, but he _was_ rather tired. Perhaps letting Dave take the wheel on this wouldn't be such a bad idea.

"Alright. Okay, fine. You make the rules." Klaus abandoned his breakfast post and meandered around the kitchen island, slumping his weary body onto one of the bar stools. He folded his arms over the quartz countertop; arching his back while he stifled a yawn.

"Good. Hold that thought, let me just set this little lady down, she's dozing off." Klaus nodded while Dave went to lay Riley down in her Pack 'N Play to continue sleeping. He leaned forward, resting his head in his arms as he closed his eyes. He wished he could join her, too. He was just so tired.

Klaus startled awake when Dave came back; he hadn't even realized he'd fallen asleep. He inhaled a sharp breath, his body shooting upright as he ran his fingers through his hair in an attempt to cover up his faux pas.

Dave noticed, though. He knew Klaus was still exhausted the minute he caught a glimpse of him that morning; his tired eyes immediately giving him away. He wanted to let him just go back to bed, surely he still needed to rest, which is why he forced him to sit and relax. However, he remembered from the night before how the sink lacked any dishes aside from the multitude of Riley's bottles. He feared Klaus hadn't eaten much, _if_ anything at all the past five days. He knew he needed to make him eat.

Upon opening the fridge and peering inside his suspicions only intensified.

There was nothing inside the fridge aside from an untouched jug of water and an assortment of condiments. No meat, no cheese, not even any old takeout containers—_nothing_. He opened the pantry and found the same thing; nothing but vacant shelves. There were two potatoes that were beginning to sprout laying forgotten in a bowl, and the final few slices of bread. He was glad to have found these items at least, it would be just enough for the two of them to eat a decent meal. Dave knew he would have to remedy this, though. The lack of food Klaus had been living off of for at least the past week was downright alarming.

"Alright, looks like we are having eggs, hash browns and toast for breakfast. How do you like your eggs?"

"I'll have whatever you're having, I'm not too finicky." Klaus answered tiredly. He planted his elbow on the counter and rested his cheek against his palm. Dave noted him struggling to stay awake; and saw when his eyes kept drooping closed. He knew he would have to let Klaus get some shut eye after this, the poor guy certainly earned it.

"Scrambled it is."

Dave knew scrambled eggs were fast and easy to make, so he wasted no time in getting to work. He rifled through the cabinets and pulled out a second pan to join the one Klaus had already grabbed and set them both on the stovetop. He quickly washed the potatoes, picking off the little sprouts, before cutting them up into little home fry sized cubes and adding them into the oiled pan. They started to sizzle rather quickly, so he seasoned them with salt and pepper before turning his attention to the eggs. Dave whisked the eggs and poured them into the pan, once again topping them with seasonings. He dragged a wooden spoon through them to fluff them while they cooked.

"There wasn't any cheese, I hope that's okay?"

"Sorry, that's my fault," Klaus laughed tiredly. "They'll be perfect, I'm sure. Smells good already." Dave shot him a smile before returning his focus to the task at hand. Thankfully the food didn't take too long, and everything finished cooking right around the same time. Dave piled a plate with the hash browns and eggs. He buttered a slice of toast, cutting it into triangles before he added it to the plate and set it down in front of Klaus. He set a plate for himself before taking a seat beside him, settling down to eat. Dave's eyebrows furrowed, his lips parting into a frown as he took in Klaus's appearance. He was staring at his plate of food but showed little interest in actually eating it.

"Aren't you going to eat?"

Klaus snapped out of his trance; pushing himself upright as he shifted his sights to Dave.

"Hm? Oh, yeah," Klaus picked up the fork, poking it into one of the potatoes but he made no attempt to eat. "I'm sorry, I'm just so tired." Klaus set the fork down on his plate with shaky hands before burying his face in his palms. He was just so exhausted, he honestly didn't possess the energy to eat a meal. Dave shot him a sad smile, he could see how tired he was. He couldn't blame him for feeling that way, but he knew that Klaus needed to eat something. He needed his strength to be able to take care of his daughter, and to be able to take care of himself. Dave rested his hand on his back and gently rubbed soothing circles into his slender frame.

"Hey, it's okay. You don't have to apologize for being tired, but Klaus, you need to eat. What do you say you just eat your breakfast and then you can go back to sleep?"

Klaus sat up, nodding his head in understanding and acceptance. He knew Dave was right. Besides, he was rather hungry. He just had to eat and then he could go lay back down.

"You're right, sorry." He picked back up his fork and brought the bite of potato to his mouth. Dave smiled as he watched him eat. He was so happy he convinced him to; he hoped this would help guide him towards making better decisions for his own health and for his daughter. He couldn't even begin to fathom what hell he'd gone through the last week. He was still left bewildered that he'd allowed his own health and safety to dwindle and waited so long to ask for help.

Klaus chewed slowly, savoring the flavor of Dave's cooking. The potatoes were cooked to perfection; crisp and golden brown on the outside and soft and tender on the inside. Better than any restaurant he'd ever eaten at. He took a bite of the eggs, they were light and fluffy and seasoned to perfection; he didn't even notice the lack of cheese. Klaus glanced at Dave and nearly snorted.

"You put ketchup on your eggs?" Dave paused, shooting a smirk at Klaus.

"It's the only way to eat them."

Klaus smiled, exhaling a laugh before the sorrowful sounds of his daughter crying filled the air. He frowned, setting his fork down while he scooted his stool back only for Dave to stop him.

"No Klaus, sit. You just finish eating, I've got her."

Klaus opened his mouth to protest, but his stomach started rumbling loudly earning him a look from Dave. He sighed, holding up his hands in defeat.

"Alright, alright. I'll eat."

Dave patted Klaus's back in passing as he made his way to Riley. He scooped her tiny squirming figure into his arms and brought her to the couch to be changed. He laughed as she wriggled around, her little legs kicking out as he tried to put back on her onesie.

"I think you might have a future soccer player on your hands." He joked as he carried her into the kitchen and started fixing her a bottle. Klaus smiled as he watched his daughter. She was so well behaved for Dave, instantly calming down and relaxing in his arms. He giggled when she sneezed, her little body tensing before relaxing. Her eyes were so vibrant and such a beautiful shade of blue. Klaus was always left so love-struck by her. He loved his baby girl so much, he truly still couldn't fully wrap his head around the fact that such a precious, perfect little creature could have come from him; that she was _his_. Dave tested the temperature of the bottle against his skin before he pressed it to Riley's lips; she latched right on to eat.

"You're so good with her," Klaus smiled before he pressed his forehead to the countertop, an exasperated pout leaving his lips. "Teach me your ways!"

"It comes with experience," Dave laughed, "You'll adjust. You're not doing a bad job, though. You just need to accept help sooner and not work yourself so thin."

"Yeah, well," Klaus began as he ran his fingers through his tangled unwashed curls, "I'm just not used to having anyone to turn to."

Dave's lips curled into a sad frown at Klaus's words. It upset him to see him so crestfallen; so utterly dejected and alone. He knew he'd mentioned he'd had his brother, but now with him gone, Dave could see just how alone Klaus truly had been. Dave knew in his heart he couldn't allow that to continue; not if he could help it. He had to be there for Klaus and his daughter. They needed someone to lean on, and he would be that person. Dave took a seat in the stool beside Klaus, resting a comforting hand against his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Hey, I'm here for you. I know we just met, but I'm here. I won't turn away, I promise. I'll help you out, alright? Just—" His speech trailed off as he gazed into Klaus's weary green eyes, before he peered down and examined Klaus's slender frame. Klaus was so thin; so _frail_, he didn't know how he hadn't noticed until this moment. "Klaus, you need to take better care of yourself. Seriously, when's the last time you ate? You're too skinny, a stiff wind would blow you away." Dave's eyebrows furrowed with concern as his eyes searched every inch of his body, his hand moved to cup Klaus's chin, tilting his face to better examine his features.

Klaus fixed his tired emerald eyes on Dave's bright pools of blue. He couldn't understand this man. He barely knew him at all and yet here he was, showing him such genuine compassion and concern for his wellbeing. He didn't know how he should feel at this moment. Should he be happy? Or sad, or angry? He didn't know, he was confused and dare he say it...he was _scared_.

"Yeah, well," He began, pulling himself away from Dave's delicate grip. "it's hard to remember when you're not used to doing it."

"Having a baby just means you need to make sure you're getting everything you need to satisfy your health too, Klaus. You need to prioritize, take care of yourself, as well."

"It's not just since Riley came along. Believe it or not, Dave, before I was the well kept super dad you see before you—" Dave had to laugh at Klaus's statement.

"Super dad, you say? Klaus, you've barely eaten or slept in a week. You're wearing I'm assuming week old pajamas with spit up on your shoulder, and I'm not judging—but, when was the last time you had a shower?" He smirked. Klaus exhaled a laugh, pressing his hands to his chest as he gaped at Dave.

"Well, fashion and accessories are important to me, David. Sorry you can't appreciate the clearly finer things in life." He gestured to his disheveled physique as both men laughed. Klaus's laughter faded however, his features and voice taking on a more serious tone.

"Honestly though, before Riley I was a homeless drug addict." Dave's eyes widened in surprise. He would have never guessed that about Klaus. Sure, the man was a _mess_, but to hear that? He was shocked. "Never really needed to worry about food, not often, anyways. Having Riley has really changed my life a lot. All for the better! It's just..it's an adjustment." He stated honestly.

He didn't know why he was sharing this information with Dave, surely this knowledge would drive a wedge between their relationship; drive him away and ruin any chance they could ever have at a friendship. He didn't want to hide his past, though. He wanted to be honest with Dave. For the first time in his life Klaus finally met someone he felt comfortable enough around to speak openly about himself. He just hoped it wouldn't backfire on him; blowing up in his face.

Klaus shied away from Dave, his eyes moving to his plate as he poked absentmindedly at his eggs. Dave's stoic features softened. He was proud of Klaus for being honest with him. He could tell how hard that must have been for him to admit, but he was so thankful he felt confident enough to share the darkest aspects of life with him.

"Well, you're doing better than I thought then, if that's the case." He gently gripped his shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Their eyes met and both men exchanged comforting smiles before Klaus laughed.

"Gee, thanks." They sat there in silence for a few moments, eyes interlocked in a mesmerizing stare.

Riley began to fuss, her arms and legs wiggling as she greedily reached for her daddy earning a genuinely proud smile from Klaus. He happily accepted her into his arms, pressing her against his chest as he smiled at his precious baby girl.

"Good morning princess, daddy loves you." He whispered softly while he cradled her cherubic cheek in his hands and kissed the top of her curls, nuzzling his cheek against the crown of her head. Klaus cooed to her and rocked her as he closed his eyes, his smile never fading.

Dave leaned his weight against the counter as he watched the precious moment enfolding before him; a smile spread wide across his face. He couldn't control the soft giggle that escaped his lips.

"What?" Klaus asked, opening one of his eyes to peer to the giggling heap beside him. "What's so funny?" Dave just smiled, his eyes never leaving the beautiful sight before him.

"It's just sweet, is all. The way your face lights up when you're holding her. When she's not screaming bloody murder, anyways." Klaus exhaled a quiet laugh through his nose, his sights shifting down to his beautiful baby girl.

"Yeah, it's crazy, isn't it?" He closed his eyes, cuddling his daughter's tiny frame unimaginably closer to himself, her warm soft skin pressed against his own instantly warming his heart. His smile only grew as her delicate little fingers curled around the fabric of his shirt as she snuggled herself up tightly against her daddy. "I love her so much. I never wanted to be a dad—not with my history. But it's the craziest thing, as soon as she was placed in my arms I couldn't imagine my life without her in it."

Dave's smile grew as he absorbed the view before him. He could physically _feel_ the love that Klaus felt for his daughter; he could see it with his own eyes. His cheeks reddened as his own heart fluttered. They were so precious, so sweet, so..._beautiful_.

"Sounds like you two are perfect for each other. The way her face lights up for her daddy?" He let out a content sigh, his hand laying across his chest as his smile grew ever wider. Klaus just smiled as he laughed.

"Yeah, well, she is pretty cute."

Dave and Klaus exchange a warm smile as Dave leaned over to rub Riley's back.

"Yeah, she is."

Dave knew Klaus still needed to finish his meal, and he knew he would need to usher Klaus off to bed soon to make certain he got enough sleep. He knew there were plenty of tasks he would need to busy himself with today to ensure Klaus and Riley were taken care of; guarantee they were both healthy and safe. He also knew those things could wait for a little while longer.

Seeing Klaus so caught up in this beautiful moment; his worries and fears forgotten and his misery faded away, Dave couldn't bring himself to disturb such a blissful moment. And so, he simply marveled alongside Klaus, thankful he was able to share such a tender moment with people he truly cared about.

With a family he, dare he say, was already starting to _love_.

—-

**Authors Note:** _Thank you for any and all comments and feedback on this story! I am so happy you all seem to be liking it thus far! I hope you will continue to read, follow and enjoy! If you are, PLEASE let me know in the comments any and all thoughts and opinions! I love to hear what you all jahe to say! Thank you again!_

_Fair warning, this story has a TON of sweet stuff but there is a lot of whump and angst as well. Just as a fair warning! I promise there is still a tonnnn of sweet tender fluffyness still to come though as well! _


	7. Revelations

While Klaus finished eating his breakfast Dave tidied up the kitchen, washing the dishes and replacing them back within their designated cubbies before tending to a now fully awake Riley. He changed her soiled diaper and burped her as he paced the floors, singing silly songs to her in an attempt to make her smile. Dave informed Klaus he would have to leave shortly, and highly recommended he take the time before his departure to handle a few predominant items on his list of tasks he hadn't been able to complete for himself over the past weeks span; starting with a long overdue shower.

Or rather, a bath.

Klaus eased his weary muscles down below the surface of the water; at long last allowing all of the tension he'd been straining against the last week to finally melt away beneath the soothing heat of the water. He was so incredibly thankful for Dave, offering to watch Riley and allow him this one simple pleasure. Something about a bath had always been so soothing to Klaus, comforting even. Perhaps it was because the years he'd spend alone on the streets stripped him from such uncomplicated comforts in his life, he was glad he could finally enjoy something so basic yet so pleasing once again.

He exhaled a sigh as he slid himself deeper underneath the water, submerging his head while he closed his eyes. Klaus laid there, body fully submersed, his mind bringing him to another place entirely. He was no longer lying in a bathtub, but rather floating beneath the sea; the gentle current cradling him within its protective undertow. He felt safe, placid and at peace.

A steady stream of air trickled from the corners of his lips, releasing tiny bubbles that danced as they climbed their way to the surface of the water—the subdued sounds of them bursting creating some form of an autonomous sensory meridian response within his brain; merely dragging him deeper into an almost hypnotic trance.

He swore he could almost fall asleep at that moment; the profound tranquility surrounding him easing him deeper into a nearly unconscious state.

That is, until _they_ returned...

Klaus was abruptly torn away from his relaxed state of being when the merciless screeching cries of the dead encircled around him once again. His hands cupped his ears, pressing down with such force he swore he would splinter his skull within his own crushing grasp. His eyes burned from unseen tears; his lungs screaming, begging for air. Cold, dead, emaciated fingers were reaching towards him with dagger like claws; trying to touch him, to overpower him, to drag him down deeper below the surface, fighting against the current and never let him go. He bolted upright, water sloshing over the edge of the tub as he inhaled a sharp breath, oxygen storming his lungs as though they were the beaches of Normandy, and the life supporting component of air were US troops. His chest heaved, heart thudding against his rib cage as his limbs shook with exhaustion and fear. He jumped at Dave's frantic knocks on the door; his voice calling to him, pleading for him to answer him, asking if he was okay.

"Klaus? Please, answer me. What's wrong, are you alright?"

Klaus ran a shaky hand through his drenched hair, blinking back his fears as he tried and failed to ignore the dementors who plagued him.

"M'fine. I just..fell asleep. I'll be right out."

Klaus took a moment to catch his breath, calm his racing heart and desperately try to rid these demons from his mind.

"Please, leave me alone." He pleaded under his breath, he couldn't take the unrelenting calls of the dead, the oppressive nature of them constantly bullying him, intimidating him. Their never ending reign of terror leaving him in such a vulnerable state. His limbs shook as he hoisted himself out of the tub. Standing on unsteady legs, he dried himself off, wrapping the towel around his slender waist before he exited the bathroom in search of fresh clothing. He hadn't expected Dave to still be standing outside of the door with his daughter in hand; his bright blue eyes brimming with concern.

"Are you okay?" He asked, laying a comforting hand over his quivering shoulder. Klaus wanted to cry, wanted to scream. He wanted to curl himself into a ball and sleep for the rest of eternity. He quickly closed his eyes when Dave's kind features morphed into that of a soulless demonic entity. A shaky breath left his lips as he pressed his hands over his eyes trying to rid himself of the horrific sight. He hated that whenever he pushed himself past the brink of exhaustion, the paranoia and ghosts always seemed to strengthen in intensity.

"Klaus?" Dave's grip tightened on his shoulder, he knew if he were to open his eyes and look at him he would see the distressed expression on his face.

"Sorry, I just—I'm really tired, I think I need to lie down." Dave nodded in understanding, wasting no time to wrap his arm supportively around the small of Klaus's back, ushering him towards his bedroom.

"Klaus, I told you that you needed to take it easy. Look at you, you're trembling.." His voice trailed off as he watched Klaus's weary body involuntarily shake from his frailty, fear, and exhaustion. "Come on, let's get you to bed."

Dave led Klaus into his bedroom; he looked away while Klaus quickly threw on a comfortable and warm pair of burgundy joggers and a white graphic tee shirt. Once he was dressed, Dave pulled back the thick comforter on his bed, and helped ease Klaus's spent body onto the mattress before tucking him in. Klaus shook with fear, short ragged breaths bursting from his chest as he heaved for each unsteady breath. He kept his eyes tightly closed, too afraid to open them and come face to face once again with the terrifying visions of the frightening spirits of the dead. He gripped his pillows with such strength his knuckles turned white from unnecessary pressure; while a panicked groan abandoned his lips.

Dave watched Klaus with a worried expression taking a seat beside him on the bed. He didn't know how to explain it, but Klaus looked as though it was more than just exhaustion that was plaguing him. In fact, if he didn't know any better he would almost swear that Klaus looked _scared_.

"You sure you're okay?" He questioned watching as he continued to shake with tremors, "Klaus, are you sick?" Dave pressed his palm against Klaus's brow earning him to flinch away from his touch, his green eyes finally opening and meeting his own.

"No, I'm okay. I'm just...I just need to sleep, I'm sorry. I'm really tired."

"Then sleep." Dave smiled at Klaus, running his fingers through his damp curls; his hand paused mid stroke and he stopped himself. He didn't know why he'd touched him in that manner, he just had such a strong urge to comfort that man. He pulled his hand away once he'd realized what he was doing. "Sorry, force of habit." Klaus weakly smiled at him. He appreciated the touch; longed for such comfort.

"Hm? No, it was...nice." Klaus's voice was soft, tired, and meek. "Will you keep doing that?" He closed his eyes, licking his lips as he curled himself up tighter within his blanket. "Please?" Dave's heart tugged at the pleading tone behind his voice.

"Sure, of course." Dave positioned his body closer to Klaus's, his thighs pressing against the other man's shoulders as he continued raking his fingers through his hair. He watched as the rigidity of Klaus's body slowly released, his tense muscles relaxing more and more with each soft stroke through his damp, tousled curls. Dave felt a pang in his heart as he watched Klaus slowly drift to sleep. He knew he was tired; but upon further inspection of his face, now that he was able to openly examine every detail about his chiseled features, Dave could see every trace of exhaustion against the pallor of Klaus's skin.

It physically _pained_ him to see that man so out of sorts, so fatigued and weak. He felt in his heart that he hadn't been doing enough, and worried Klaus and Riley had already suffered far too much. He knew without a doubt in his mind that he had to step up his game; really apply himself to a stricter proclamation and be there to aid and support this little family to the best of his abilities. Klaus was undoubtedly trying his absolute best, but he was only one person, and caring for an infant by oneself was a far greater difficulty than he probably ever anticipated. Especially knowing what Dave knows now; that he was a newly sober ex-drug addict who'd spent the last decade or so on the streets. He needed help long before Riley ever came along, and Dave was going to be there to guide him throughout this all new pivotal journey of his brand new life as a father; as a changed man—a better person.

Riley drifted to sleep alongside her daddy within Dave's arms; her soft breaths tickled the skin of his bicep as he cradled her against his broad chest. He smiled down to that precious baby, admiring her beauty. She truly was a remarkably adorable little girl; features mirroring that of an actual cherub.

Klaus's breath hitched within his throat, his muscles contracting in a wince as a whimper exploded from his chest. Dave's worried eyes darted to him; halfway expecting him to scream out or cry. Instead, Klaus's frail hands managed to reach out to him; his spindly fingers wrapping around the fabric of Dave's shirt; clinging onto him like a lifeline. He didn't have the heart to pry him away; so he let him hold onto him in hopes that whatever it was that was tormenting Klaus would fade away if he offered this simple comfort. Dave brushed a stray curl out of Klaus's eyes, frowning at the terrified expression on his face. He only wished he knew how he could better help him. He continued to comb his fingers through his hair, raking his fingertips over his scalp to try to soothe him; to calm him and make him feel at peace. His lips quirked into a subtle smile when the lines in Klaus's skin softened, his pinched features and worried expression slowly relaxing into one of content.

Dave stayed there with them for a little while longer, wanting to ensure Klaus and Riley did indeed sleep, before gently taking ahold of Klaus's limp extremity and depositing it against his body on the bed. He was sure to tuck the blankets around Klaus's slumbering form before laying his daughter down in her crib; smoothing her curls and stroking her back through the soft fabric of her pastel onesie before turning to leave the room.

"Please, don't go—please don't leave me." Dave's steps faltered at the sound of Klaus's hushed pleading. He turned to look at him, his furrowed eyebrows softening at the sight of Klaus. His tired green eyes were barely opened into slits; he was clearly not fully awake. Dave stepped closer to him, laying his palm over Klaus's relaxed hand.

"Hey, shh it's okay, I'll come right back, okay?" He whispered soothingly to try to calm the man down, "I just have a few errands I need to run. You won't be alone long, alright? You'll never have to be alone again. I promise. Just please, try to rest. You need to sleep." Klaus's eyes slowly closed by their own accord as Dave ran the pad of his thumb over Klaus's hand, massaging circles into the delicate skin. He squeezed his hand once before continuing his journey to leave. He paused in the doorway, peering back into the room that contained the small, sleeping family he'd grown rather fond of once more. He knew he would only be gone for a couple of hours, but he already felt the pull of absence in his heart. He knew it was strange, but he didn't want to leave them. He smiled as he softly closed the door behind him, leaving the perfect little family alone to finally sleep.

—-

Not even twenty minutes had passed since Dave left to run his errands when Klaus was abruptly ripped out of his slumber. He couldn't stand it, the cacophonous clamor of the dead; screaming at him once again. He buried his face into his pillow pulling the blanket over his head while begging them to stop.

_But they wouldn't..._

Klaus was just so tired; so over everything in that instant. Why couldn't they have the decency to grant him a moment's peace? He could feel their presence around him, the weight of the dread they brought him crushing against his chest, stealing the breath from his lungs. He felt like he couldn't breathe.

He was all alone—Dave was gone, Riley was asleep; not that either of them could help him, anyways. No one could see what he saw, heard what he heard, nor feel what he felt. He was perpetually alone with these demons, no one could help him. He was trapped in their world eternally, he would never be able to escape—not ever again, that is. His hands pressed against his ears; his nails biting into his scalp until he could feel the sting of them breaking through his skin.

"Leave, please. Just leave me alone," Klaus begged, "Please...please...please, just go away!" He was sitting up now, knees pulled to his chest as he rocked himself on the mattress; anxiety seeping from his pores, completely taking him over. He was drowning in his panic.

His teary green eyes widened once he was finally able to open them. Riley began to cry, her pitiful wailing only seemed to attract the demons to her, drawing them away from her father. They surrounded her, calling her name, saying evil, terrible things. She needed his help; but he couldn't move. Klaus was completely immobilized—paralyzed by his crippling fear.

"Leave her alone!" He screamed, "Don't you dare touch her!"

They encroached ever closer, leaning over her crib as they stretched their decaying limbs towards her innocent figure. Klaus's heart was racing, feeling as though it would burst. He'd never felt more terrified in his entire life. They'd always been there, always lurking, always watching _him_, but he couldn't accept them tormenting his precious baby girl. He could feel his chest clenching, he felt as though his heart would fail him; just as he was failing his daughter.

"Stop! Please! Just leave her alone, she doesn't deserve this!" He wailed, hot tears streaming his agonized face, "You're here for me! Leave her out of this! She doesn't concern you! You can't touch her! You can't! You can't, _please_!" His fist clenched above his hammering heart; the assault of it against his ribs making him feel nearly faint. He groaned as he doubled over himself, why couldn't he just get up. She _needed_ him, and he wasn't there.

"Please! I'm begging you, leave my daughter alone!"

Klaus's desperation seemed to shift their ominous attention, pulling them back on himself. They crept closer to him, their heinous features eyeing him; he feared what malevolence they planned to evoke. His lips trembled as they approached; inching ever closer. He couldn't stay there, he needed to get out of that room—he needed to get Riley as far away from those evil spirits as possible.

He bolted, his body passing through the specters as he ran; he could feel the chill of them against his heated skin, it covered him in goosebumps and sent a shiver down his spine. He tried to suppress that fear behind him, his focus was on one thing, and one thing alone in that moment: saving his daughter.

Klaus ran as fast as his weary legs would carry him to his precious baby girl. He wasted not a moment's time in taking a hold of her, scooping her into his protective arms before running out of that bedroom. Klaus slammed the door behind him. He couldn't remember the last time he'd ran that fast, his legs gave out on him as he entered the living room and he collapsed onto his knees; clutching his daughter tightly against his heaving chest.

Klaus couldn't hold back his emotions any longer and he cried, every ounce of his anxieties poured out of his mouth as though the tap had been left running. He clung onto Riley, hugging her tightly against his rampaging heart; he couldn't believe what he'd just allowed her to go through. He knew she was unaware of what occurred—but _he_ wasn't, he knew he allowed that to happen to her and did nothing to stop it.

"I'm so sorry baby girl. Daddy is so sorry."

Klaus buried his tear streaked face against the crown of his daughter's curls, holding her and savoring every bit of her presence in his arms. He loved her so much; he hated himself for not being capable of protecting her. She was so perfect, so innocent and he'd allowed those monsters to skulk her.

"Daddy is so sorry, angel. I'm so sorry. Please, forgive me." He whispered through his tears, begging for forgiveness from a child who had no concept of what she should be forgiving her father for. He pulled away from her, cradling her tiny figure in his arms and he just looked into her giant blue eyes. She was watching him, no more tears in sight, just wide doe-like eyes radiant and filled with curiosity. He knew she had no idea why her daddy was so upset, or why he was crying, or screaming like a mad man. All she knew was that he was there now, as far as she was concerned, he'd never left—never failed her. Klaus knew he had to do right by her, make her proud and never, ever prove her wrong.

"Daddy's not going anywhere, princess," Klaus sat on his bottom on the floor, crossing his legs as he held her up to peer deeper into her sapphire orbs, "I promise I'll never leave you. Daddy's made mistakes and has his own demons to deal with, but I promise I'll never let anyone or anything hurt you. I'll always be here for you, baby girl."

Riley's pudgy little arms wiggled around, reaching outward toward her daddy's face. The tiny pads of her precious little fingers pressed against his cheeks, stroking his skin as though she were wiping away his tears. Klaus's lips tugged into a wide smile; a laugh escaping his lips.

"Aw, Riley, you don't like it when daddy cries, huh?" Her hands continued to explore his features, dancing over his eyes as she parted his long lashes, before wrapping around his nose. Her fingers trailed over his lips before finally settling atop his cheekbones. Klaus closed his eyes relishing the sensation of his daughter's delicate touch, her soothing gesture instantly relinquishing all of his fears, and his dread away.

"Maybe you do have powers after all, princess," He leaned forward, pressing their foreheads together, "you have the ability to make your daddy so unbelievably happy, sweetie. Daddy loves you so much." He pressed his lips to her temple before pulling her back against his chest, hugging her tightly as he continued to smile. "I love you so much, baby girl."

—-

When Dave arrived back to Klaus's after he completed his errands, he entered the kitchen with his arms full of groceries for his little family.

_His little family?_

He shook his head to clear that thought from his mind. Of course, he couldn't help but to feel a strong connection to Klaus and Riley, he quickly felt inclined to them; like the moon's gravitational pull towards the earth. He felt close to them, in nurturing aspects as well as friendship. When he set the groceries on the counter and finally allowed himself to take in his surroundings he couldn't hide the smile that crept across his face.

Klaus was lying on the couch with Riley swaddled in a blanket; he had her propped atop his chest, his arms loosely draped around her tiny slumbering frame. They both looked so peaceful, so adorable. That was another thing Dave couldn't help but feel towards this family: adoration.

Riley quite possibly was the most adorable little sweet pea he'd ever seen, and Klaus? Well, if Dave was being entirely honest with himself, he adored Klaus from the moment he first laid his eyes on him in the grocery store. He immediately found there to be something special about him; perhaps it was the way he watched him fumbling over which baby formula would be the best one for his daughter, or the way his emerald green pools seemed to express such clear emotion. Maybe, perhaps, it was the way his smile seemed to brighten any room he entered. Or, maybe it was his laugh—such a rare thing, he noticed in the beginning of their friendship, but was becoming much more prevalent as time went on. It was a wondrous thing, a delightful sound. Dave only wished he could hear more of it.

He quickly stocked Klaus's fridge and cupboards with his bounty of groceries he'd picked up for them; food for him, as well as extra formula for Riley. He set a casserole dish on the stovetop; he'd picked up the ingredients and gone to his sister's to make a noodle bake for him—he wanted Klaus to have a fresh home cooked meal. It would just need heating up in the oven to melt the cheese before eating. Once his hands were free, Dave made his way over to the couch; his smile never wavering at the precious sight before him. He gently laid a hand on Klaus's shoulder, giving him a gentle squeeze.

"Klaus, you hungry?" Klaus sucked in a breath, his long lashes fluttering as he opened his beautiful green eyes into slits. Dave noticed how tired he still looked. "How was your day? Did you get enough sleep?"

"Hm?" Klaus closed his eyes, licking his lips and lying in silence for a moment; Dave almost thought he'd fallen back asleep before he finally spoke. "Mm probably not enough. M'still tired." His voice was so soft, mumbled and thick with exhaustion. He cuddled himself closer to Riley, sucking in another breath as he pressed his flushed cheek atop her head.

"Hey, are you feeling okay? Your cheeks are really red." Klaus's face was flushed, his cheeks a deep burgundy color. Dave pressed his hand against his forehead before moving to his cheek, then neck. He didn't _feel_ hot, perhaps he was just overly tired. He couldn't blame him; even if he were to have slept the entire day, it still wouldn't have been enough rest to make up for his loss of sleep over the past week.

"M'okay...jus' tired."

"Want me to take her? You can go lay in bed for a bit if you want while I cook dinner—"

"No, please don't. M'comfy." He mumbled against her skin. Dave could only smile as he watched Klaus's sleepy demeanor. He couldn't force him to wake. He would allow him to continue to sleep while he composed their dinner.

"Okay, you just rest. I'm gonna fix up some food, okay?" Klaus could only hum in response before drifting back to sleep.

Dave made his way back into the kitchen to go ahead and prepare their dinner. He pre-heated the oven before turning his attention to mixing up a side salad to go along with it. He washed the lettuce and tomatoes; setting them down on the cutting board atop a paper towel to dry. The oven beeped alerting him it was ready for the casserole. Dave slid the pan into the oven, closing the door and returning to finish the salad. While he was dicing the tomatoes Riley began to stir.

She pressed her face against Klaus's chest, her head lolling from side to side as little sputtered cries fell from her lips. Klaus's arms clung to her, rubbing her back while his attention just barely perked. His eyes opened, his head lazily lifting off the armrest of the couch to look at her.

"Shh it's okay, princess. You hungry?" He whispered, his voice still thick with fatigue. Dave could see just how tired Klaus still was from where he stood within the kitchen, he also noticed when he went to get up from his prone position on the couch, "Let's get you some num-num's, yeah?" Klaus cooed as he supported his unsteady arm beneath his daughter's bottom as he attempted to sit up, but a hand against his shoulder promptly stopped him.

"Allow me," Dave smiled as he took Riley into his arms, he watched as Klaus went to protest but quickly put an end to it. "Klaus, you just keep sleeping, okay? I got her, really. Dinner will be done in a little while. I'll wake you when it's ready."

"Dave, I'm okay, I got her—" Klaus went to stand; his motions slow and uncoordinated, he was just so tired. His arms struggled to support his weight.

"Easy," Dave gently eased his sluggish form back down onto the couch. "Klaus, you're still tired. Just rest, please?" He tried to argue, but Dave's facial expression stopped him in his tracks. He could only nod as he laid back down against the cushions on the couch. "There you go, relax. I've got this."

Dave took a fussy Riley into the kitchen. He prepared a bottle for her which she eagerly accepted. Dave sat on one of the bar stools while he fed her, smiling as he glanced between her and her daddy. Klaus was already asleep again. He'd rolled onto his side and had a throw pillow in his arms tightly pressed against his chest as though he were still cuddling his daughter. Dave couldn't help but think he looked rather adorable. When Riley finished eating, he burped her and changed her dirty diaper, swaddling her into a blanket and cuddling her against his chest. He sat down on the far end of the couch so as to not disturb her father and quietly sang her a lullaby to help her fall asleep.

Dave leaned back on the couch, his back sinking against the plush upholstered cushions and just took in everything surrounding him. Riley was comfortably asleep within his arms, her perfect little pout twitching while she dreamt. Her daddy was completely knocked out cold at the other end of the sofa. His lips were parted, soft wisps of breath were the only sounds he made. Dave smiled as he admired them. He felt so comfortable here; so unbelievably at home with them. He truly felt almost as though he was a part of this family. Like they _were_ his family. He felt himself caring about them as such. Dave marveled in this moment, absorbing the peacefulness. It was refreshing; seeing both of them so calm, so comfortable and content. To see them _actually resting_ after knowing how bad off they'd just been the day prior, and for many days before that. They _needed_ this. He was so unbelievably happy they could finally relish this.

Dave glanced at the timer on the oven and saw there were only a few short minutes left. He got up, carefully laying Riley down in her Pack 'N Play to continue sleeping before returning to finish prepping their meals. He turned the timer off on the oven so that the shrill alarm wouldn't wake the sleeping pair of angels in the living room before chopping the rest of the tomatoes and lettuce and adding them into a bowl. Dave pulled the casserole out of the oven and set it on the stovetop to cool. He pulled out two dishes as quietly as he could and got to work on setting their plates. Dave filled up two small bowls with salad, drizzling some dressing over them before setting them down on the coffee table in the living room. Once the pasta cooled a bit, he piled a decent serving of it onto two plates. He set them down beside the salads before fetching two glasses of water.

"Klaus," He gently squeezed his shoulder to rouse him back awake. He felt bad for doing it, he clearly still needed his sleep, but he needed to eat, too. "Dinner is ready. Wake up, it's time to eat."

Klaus's eyes fluttered open, his eyes blinking to clear the haze that filtered his vision. He set the pillow in his arms aside and began easing his fatigued body upright, only for Dave to immediately offer him his assistance. He didn't understand why he was still so tired, but he was thankful for Dave, he always seemed to be there to help him whenever he needed him most.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Dave smiled at Klaus, sitting down beside him on the couch. He pulled the coffee table closer to them so it could act as a makeshift table before flipping on the television to give them some entertainment while they ate. "I hope you're hungry, I made a 'deconstructed lasagna'. I would have made the real thing, but I'm not that skilled in the culinary sense, unfortunately." He exhaled a laugh as he watched Klaus's expression morph into a tired yet thoroughly impressed one.

"Wow, Dave this looks...amazing. You _made_ this?"

"Sure did. It may still be a little hot, so just blow on it first." He examined Klaus's features further, his eyebrows furrowing with concern. "Here," He picked up one of the glasses of water and handed it to Klaus, "maybe drink some of this first. Your cheeks are really red, I think you might be a little dehydrated."

Klaus nodded as he took the glass into his shaky hands, pressing it to his lips. He greedily took a few sips; water spilling over his chin as he all but inhaled it. Dave laughed, rubbing Klaus's back and taking the glass away when he finally pulled it away from his lips to gasp for a breath.

"Woah, _easy_. I guess you were thirsty, huh?" He continued to rub Klaus's back, a smile spread wide across his cheeks. Klaus nodded, wiping his forearm across his mouth to dry the dribble of water off of his chin. "When was the last time you drank anything?"

"Honesty," Klaus began, clearing his throat and swallowing his saliva, "I don't know, I can't remember." Dave frowned.

"Klaus, you gotta stay hydrated. It's no wonder you're so weak right now. No sleep, no food, _and_ no water?" He sighed, rubbing his fingers through his own hair. "We gotta change that, okay?" Klaus could only nod in response before turning his attention to his meal.

"Sorry."

"No, it's okay. You don't need to be sorry. You just," Dave's lips quirked into a sad smile, "you've gotta take better care of yourself." He noticed when Klaus's expression seemed to sink into despair. He didn't mean to come across as brash, he just worried about him and wanted what was best for him.

Dave nudged Klaus's shoulder playfully, earning a tired smile in response. He ruffled his hair, turning his attention back to his plate. Dave picked up his fork; blowing on the pasta before plopping it into his mouth. He smiled as Klaus did the same thing.

"Wow, oh my god," Klaus began, mouth full of food. His eyes nearly rolling back into his skull with pleasure, "holy shit, this is good." Dave could only laugh.

"I'm glad you like it. Eat up while it's hot."

The two boys sat quietly eating their meals together, the soft sound of the television the only noise to be heard. Klaus ate slowly, savoring the flavor and also trying not to upset his stomach. The meal was delicious, but it was rich in flavor and he wasn't accustomed to such a delicacy. He'd only just begun adjusting to eating at all before the week that just passed. He finished about half of his plate before pushing it away from himself. He would have loved to finish it, but he was just too full.

"You're done?" Dave asked as he watched Klaus lean back against the couch rubbing his stomach.

"M'so full."

"You barely ate anything, you sure you're feeling okay?" He reached forward and felt Klaus's forehead again only for the man to turn his head away; he wrapped his hands around Dave's wrist to stop him as he peered into his eyes with a soft smile.

"Dave, I'm okay, really." Klaus sat up, reaching for his glass of water only to realize it was empty. "This is just...new to me, remember? I'm not up to eating quantities like that yet. I'll get there. I just need time."

"You sure?" Dave pushed his untouched glass of water closer to Klaus. The other man smiled as he accepted it into his hands.

"I promise. Besides," He pulled the water to his lips, sipping it gingerly this time. "With you by my side, I doubt you'll allow me not to." The pair exchanged a laugh between one another.

"You're right about that." Dave laid his hand on Klaus's shoulder, giving him a reassuring squeeze. "I'm here for you. For whatever you may need. I'm not going anywhere, okay? You can trust me." Klaus nodded as he smiled, laying his hand over Dave's knee.

"I know."

They sat there in silence, just peering into each other's eyes. Klaus knew in his heart he truly could trust this man; and he did. With his entire heart and soul. Klaus trusted him with himself, but more importantly, he trusted him with his daughter. He stared into Dave's deep ocean blue eyes, caught up in the moment. God, he couldn't believe how beautiful his eyes were. He pulled his hand away, straightening his posture and sitting back further on the couch with a sigh.

"So, Dave. You know pretty much all there is to know about me, tell me more about yourself."

"What would you like to know?" Dave asked, smiling as he chewed another bite of his dinner.

"Okay, for starters, I'm dying to know what you do for a living."

"What do you think I do?" He asked, folding his arms over his chest as he eyed Klaus curiously. Klaus smirked, rubbing his hands together as he leaned forward to better examine Dave.

"Hmm," He began. "I think you're...a teacher? Maybe an english or history teacher?" Dave laughed.

"You think too highly of me."

"Maybe you're a..." Klaus snapped, pointing at Dave with a gargantuan smile, his eyebrows wiggling playfully. "Secret agent!"

"Actually, you're not too far off," Dave began as he leaned back and laughed. Klaus smiled, leaning back against the cushions as well, his eyebrows climbing towards the ceiling, his interest peaked. Dave peered at him ready to reveal his true identity. "I'm actually ex-military. I was a counterintelligence Special agent in the US army. I enlisted when I was eighteen, I only served for eight years. Did one tour in Afghanistan, decided it just wasn't for me. So I didn't re-enlist. Didn't like the whole massacre facet of the job. I did, however, enjoy the protect and serve aspect—so I'm a cop now. Wanted to lean away from the special forces for a while, but now I'm trying to climb the ladder towards becoming an FBI agent. Gotta start somewhere, right?"

"You said I thought too highly of you when I thought you were a teacher, then you hit me with that?" Klaus snickered. "That's awesome. Wow, Dave. Didn't picture you to be a badass." Dave laughed.

"Eh, never felt like one. Just wanted to help people, that's all." He shrugged. Klaus smiled, Dave truly was a good person; helping anyone he could, including him.

"You know, my brothers a cop. Maybe you know him?" Klaus paused, reconsidering if he should even mention it. He put their differences aside though, genuinely curious to know the answer. "His name's Diego Hargreeves."

"Hey, yeah, I do!" He smiled as he leaned forward, a look of excitement on his features. "We all go bowling every Thursday night, me, him and Eudora. That's your brother? I'll have to tell him—"

"No, don't bother," Klaus began, cutting Dave off mid sentence. "We..don't talk." Dave's face fell at Klaus's statement.

"Oh? That's a shame, may I ask why?"

Klaus leaned forward, resting his elbows against his knees as he dragged his palms over his face. He inhaled a breath and closed his eyes before he began to speak.

"Last year he and I got into a bad argument," He began, opening his eyes into despondent slits. "I uh, I overdosed—almost died. He found me, took me to the hospital. When I came to he was there, but he was pissed off—_obviously_. But I told him to drop his holier than thou attitude. That's just who I am, I told him if he didn't like it, didn't like _me_, then he could leave, and never worry about talking to me ever again. I told him he could fuck off. And he got pissed, said next time he found me like that he would leave me there to die." Klaus exhaled an exasperated sigh, burying his face in his palms. "I told him good, he would be doing the world a favor. We haven't talked since. He hates my guts, can't say that I blame him." Klaus inhaled a breath, wiping at his eyes with his palms to hide his tears. He didn't want Dave to see him cry, not again, not over this. This was his own doing, he deserved what he got. He didn't want his pity. Dave's eyebrows furrowed, his lips pursing in concern.

"What? No way! If he saw you today, saw how you've changed and bettered yourself and how amazing you are with Riley he would be proud of you, Klaus—" Klaus scoffed.

"No, you don't know my brother like I do. He'd probably try to get her taken away from me." Dave couldn't believe his ears. He wanted to protest, wanted to tell him that no, he was wrong, Diego would never—but Klaus cut him off before he ever got the chance.

"I'm sorry, just, please, can we drop it? It's a sensitive subject for me." He ran a shaky hand through his hair, shifting his gaze away from Dave. He couldn't bring himself to look him in the eyes.

"Yeah, sure, of course. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have—"

"No, it's okay, I'm sorry. I'm just tired." He pressed the heel of his palms against his eyes. "Those last few days are still catching up to me." Dave nodded, laying a hand on his shoulder as he tried to gain his attention.

"You should get some rest, then." He smiled sadly when Klaus's water logged eyes finally met his own. "Go to bed, if she wakes up I've got her."

"No, it's okay, I'll finish this episode at least."

"You sure? If you're tired, you should just rest."

"I'm fine."

Klaus curled his legs beneath himself as he adjusted into a more comfortable position on the couch. Dave smiled, nodding at Klaus in acceptance before returning his focus to the television program. They were watching Naked and Afraid, a show Dave had grown quite fond of. It was different and rather interesting to watch, much better than any of the other reality TV shows he'd ever stumbled across.

Not even ten minutes passed when Klaus's eyes fluttered occasionally as he fought off the fatigue that plagued him. Dave could see his head bobbing from the corner of his eye. He wished Klaus wouldn't be so stubborn; he clearly was still utterly exhausted, he didn't know why he seemed to almost want to punish himself.

Dave was pulled from his thoughts when a sudden unexpected pressure against his waist caught his attention. Klaus had fallen asleep, his unconscious frame slid down the couch and his head was resting in his lap. Dave's lips tugged into a smile as he watched him; his features soft, and serene. His long dark eyelashes fluttered as he dreamt, soft breaths of air eased through his barely parted lips. Dave wouldn't dare disturb him, he looked too comfortable. He reached over the back of the couch, tugging a throw blanket down and gently covered Klaus with it, tucking it up beneath his chin. He ran his fingers through his hair to further soothe him.

Dave tilted his head back, resting it against the plush cushions of the couch while he continued to rake his fingers gently through Klaus's tousled curls. Everything was still; Riley was silently snoozing in her Pack 'N Play, and Klaus was comfortably sleeping against his lap. Dave smiled, relishing this moment. He closed his own eyes, allowing the peaceful tranquility to envelop him.

Dave eventually joined the little family as he himself drifted to sleep.

—

**Authors Note**: _Sorry about the wait! Thank you for being patient, I hope you enjoy! If you do please be sure to leave a comment! I love reading your lovely words and crave validation haha _

_I do not own Naked And Afraid (but I do shamelessly enjoy watching it) haha_


	8. These Ghosts Of My Past Will Haunt Me

_Klaus was running - he didn't know where he was, or how he had come to be in this foreign place to begin with. The area was unfamiliar to him; trees he didn't recognize in a shadowy and ominous landscape he'd never seen before. Klaus found that it was unusually dark outside, the only source of light that illuminated his footpath was the sparse moonlight that flooded through the canopy between the myriad of lofty trees flanking him to either side. An opaque fog rolled in, obscuring Klaus's already hazy vision; it was dense, and suffocating. The vortex of wind encompassing him was robust and powerful, plucking leaves from their rooted spots within their branches and hurdling them around him in a frenzied revolving flurry. Klaus was breathless, his body aching as his bare feet pounded against the impenetrable earth with each agonizing step he took._

_Where was he?_

_Where was Riley?_

_Where was Dave?_

_"Hello?" He called through the forest surrounding him, his voice hollow as it echoed through the emptiness, the sound reverberating back to him like a boomerang that had been flung and was returning to its owner._

_"Dave? Riley?" Klaus called while he continued to run, he couldn't be alone, he couldn't be. Where had they gone? Had they abandoned him? Or worse—had he abandoned them?_

_Klaus...Klaus...Klaus...Klaus…_

_Join us Klaus…_

_You're one of us..._

_"W-who's there?" His voice was shaky, uncertainty flooding his chest. He didn't recognize the looming voices surrounding him, calling him, how could possibly they know his name?_

_Klaus...Klaus...Klaus...Klaus…_

_Klaus you're here…_

_You're finally with us…_

_You've finally joined us, Klaus..._

_We've been waiting for you..._

_"No," Klaus stumbled to a stop, his heels digging into the compressed soil beneath his unclad feet. The voices were growing louder, closer; threateningly so. "Go away!"_

_Klaus turned on his heels, running the direction from which he had already come from. He'd been going the wrong way all along, he needed to go home, he needed to get back to them. To his daughter, to Dave. He needed to get to safety._

_Klaus...Klaus...Klaus...Klaus..._

_You can't leave us…_

_You're one of us, Klaus..._

_you'll never be able to escape us..._

_We are part of you, Klaus..._

_"Please, leave me alone!" He turned his head to see them materializing from beyond the crest of the forest; sinister beings of the damned encroaching around him. They were everywhere, decaying flesh falling from their otherworldly limbs, they were outstretched, reaching towards him._

_You're part of us Klaus…_

_Join us…_

_You're supposed to be like us…_

_One of us…_

_You are one of us, Klaus..._

_"No, please!" They were all around him, their exanimate corpses leeching any ounce of light away from him, it was so dark, too dark—Klaus never liked the dark. "Go away, please!"_

_They were everywhere, getting impossibly closer, their arms stretching towards him, closer, and closer, and closer; Klaus could almost feel them against his flesh. He stepped back, inching away as carefully as he could. He took another step back, and another, and..._

_Klaus was suddenly falling..._

_A chasm within the earth gave way beneath his unsteady feet; swallowing him whole. His heart plummeted into his stomach as he descended, lower, and lower, and deeper and deeper beneath the earth's surface. Suddenly there was a light. Deep burning hues of reds and oranges. Klaus quickly realized that they were flames. He was being cast against his will straight down, deep into the fiery pits of hell._

_"No!" Klaus screamed, hot tears cascading his face. He couldn't go there, he had too many things he needed to do. Too many people who needed him. He had Riley...what would happen to her? She needed him, she needed her daddy._

_Klaus...Klaus...Klaus..._

_"Please, no! I'm sorry, please don't take me from her!"_

_Klaus...Klaus...Klaus..._

_A hand was on his shoulder, shaking him, that couldn't be, they couldn't touch him..._

_"Please...please, no..."_

_Klaus...Klaus...Klaus..._

_Wake up..._

Klaus's eyelids shot open like a surefired bullet through the smoking barrel of a gun, his chest heaved as he gasped; inhaling sharp unsteady breaths. He felt lightheaded, a swirl of dizziness overwhelming him before he was able to clear his mind and focus enough to finally realize where he was. His eyes darted around his surroundings, still blurred by the fog of sleep. Klaus's plush eyelashes flickered rapidly to clear his vision. He was in his living room - the sun was out; no more darkness. The rays of sunshine were filtering through the blinds casting an iridescent display of lights across the pallid walls; no more burning flames of hell. He was safe, laying on his couch. He was safe, he was...

_Laying in Dave's arms?_

"Are you alright? You were moaning in your sleep." Dave's brilliant blue eyes were there, filled with deep penetrating concern—hovering right above his face. The warmth of his body pressed against his own, their limbs were tightly woven together in a grounding hug. Dave's very warm; very much _alive_ hand was cupping beneath Klaus's sweat dampened neck. He was there; with him, he was safe. "You're sweating, are you okay?"

"Bad dream," Breathed Klaus. He closed his eyes while he tried to calm himself down and slow his breathing. He needed to steady himself, to ground himself. He was home, he was with Riley, and Dave.

_He was safe._

"Helluva dream." Dave eyed him worriedly, pressing his palm against Klaus's temple to gauge his temperature before smoothing his perspiration dampened curls away from his eyes. Dave's tender touch sent a shiver down Klaus's spine, causing his body to spasm. He couldn't constrain his tremors, all of his pent up stress and anxiety, and then _Dave_? With his kind touch and his caring demeanor. "You sure you're okay?"

"M'fine." Klaus opened his eyes into meager slits meeting Dave's wide sapphire blue orbs. "Wait, w-what happened. Why are we..?" He gestured down to their prone bodies. They were bundled up against one another on the couch, Dave's warmth wrapped around his own in a rather intimate embrace. Dave followed his eyes before peering back to Klaus, his features taking on a bashful, and perhaps even embarrassed appearance.

"Oh, uh, yeah," Dave laughed softly, combing his fingers through his own mousy blonde curls as a rosy hue flooded the apples of his cheeks. "We both fell asleep on the couch last night, I guess." Klaus closed his eyes, rubbing his shaky palm down his face to try to wipe his anxieties and impending tears away.

"I'm sorry."

"Oh, no. Really," Dave smiled as he withdrew his hand from beneath the nape of Klaus's neck to give him a little extra space. "It's okay. I'm sorry. It just...happened. It's fine." Dave giggled softly earning a quizzical glance from Klaus. "Honestly, I'm not gonna lie, I was pretty cozy."

"Yeah?" Klaus exhaled a half-suppressed laugh through his nose while his body relaxed into Dave's tender touch. "Me too."

Klaus eased his weary body closer to Dave's on the couch, his forehead resting against the other man's broad chest. He closed his eyes; relishing Dave's comforting contact. Klaus didn't want to admit that waking up in Dave's strong arms instantly helped relieve him from his sorrows after that ghastly nightmare—he _couldn't_; but he _could_ enjoy Dave's strong presence, and the solace that he provided him while it would last. He was there, he was warm, and he was safe. Much to Klaus's selfish delight, neither man made any attempt to move, or pull away from the other.

Klaus sighed, his stiff muscles slowly relaxing into a more at ease position. His body felt so heavy—he was just so exhausted. Klaus didn't know why, but the ghosts seemed to be getting so much worse lately. Their unending presence never ceasing to inflict cruel and unjust treatment upon him. He didn't understand why they were becoming more and more persistent. It was draining; both physically and emotionally. Klaus honestly didn't know how much longer he could go on like this. He just wanted to rest; truly be able to relax and sleep. He was just so unbearably tired.

Riley's soft cries drifted through the living room as she awoke, earning Klaus to turn his head in the direction of his precious baby girl at the sound of her wailing. She was there, she was _safe_. He looked into Dave's eyes sending him a brief smile before reluctantly untangling himself from his comfortable position within Dave's limbs and going to his daughter.

"Hey there, good morning princess. You hungry?" Klaus cooed softly; his voice was shaky after his restless night of sleep. He smiled as he cradled his perfect angel gainst his still pounding heart, her soft breaths dancing across his exposed skin reminding him that she was there, she was in his arms - he wasn't in that place anymore. She was safe, he was safe. He was home. Dave smiled as he watched Klaus holding his daughter. He stretched his tired limbs before peeling himself off of the couch and joining the little family within the kitchen.

"Hey, I gotta go to work, so I'm gonna head out." He stated as Klaus tested the heated bottle against his arm before holding it to his hungry daughters lips. "But, uh, would you like me to pick you up some dinner or anything later? I can bring it by after work? Maybe we can watch a movie or something?"

"Yeah, sure," Klaus smiled at Dave, earning a beaming grin in return. "I'd like that. Thanks."

"Of course, anytime. What are you in the mood for?"

"Pizza sounds _devine_." Klaus's eyes nearly rolled into his skull as he rocked back onto his heels to emphasize. Dave couldn't contain his laughter.

"Alright, pizza it is. I know of a good local pizza joint. Any specific toppings you like?"

"Ah, Dave, I'm a simple man. Plain cheese will do just fine."

"I think I can handle that." Dave grabbed his keys off of the counter as he quickly thrust his shoes onto his feet. He smiled as he walked over to Klaus and Riley. Dave smoothed her downy curls against her head as she watched him with bright blue eyes, her cheeks filling with formula as she ate. "Bye cutie, be good to your daddy, okay?" He shifted his sights to Klaus, their eyes meeting in a warm moment of peace. "When you finish feeding her I want you to drink some water and eat some breakfast, okay?" Dave's voice was soft and caring, his eyes displaying genuine concern. "Remember to take care of yourself too. I can't watch you like a hawk at work, unfortunately. Can I trust you'll do that?"

"Scouts honor." Klaus held his HELLO hand up in a lazy two-finger salute, his lips quirking into a wide cheshire grin. Dave smiled, squeezing him on his shoulder approvingly.

"Alright. I'll pick up the pizza when I get off. I'll see you two later."

"See you then."

Dave sent Klaus a smile one last time before leaving for work. Klaus sat on one of the empty bar stools while he finished feeding Riley her breakfast. He smiled down at her as he observed her. Her little dimples always accentuated whenever she'd eat, he couldn't help but laugh whenever she'd puff out her cheeks with the formula, taking on the appearance of a small woodland creature.

"Should I call you a chipmunk, sweet pea? You certainly look like one when you fill your little cheeks like that." He cooed to her in a soft delicate voice. Klaus held her as she ate, he gently stroked her silken cheek with his forefinger in a loving manner while his lips pulled into an adoring smile. He giggled softly at his daughter; he could always count on Riley to take away his sorrows. Klaus needed this cherished time with his precious little one; especially after the night from literal hell he'd just experienced.

"I love you so much, princess."

Once Riley finished her bottle he cradled her against his chest, patting her back gently as he rocked her and burped her. Klaus pressed his cheek against her body, absorbing her presence. He still couldn't quite shake the strange feeling within his heart. Klaus knew it was just a dream, but it just felt _so real_. They'd called to him, telling him he was part of them, that he would never be rid of them.

_Klaus hated them…_

He couldn't allow that to be true. Klaus hated to admit it, but a small piece of himself that he'd worked so hard to bury deep down within his conscience desperately missed his drugs. He didn't miss the high, or the sensation of them on his tongue or any of those superfluous things—he missed the peace and quiet they brought him. The _numbness_ he felt.

He missed the void; the lack of ghosts.

Klaus knew he could never turn to them again, though. That part of his life was over; _dead_, like the spirits who haunted him now. Riley was all that mattered to him, and he knew if he turned to drugs ever again he would undoubtedly be failing her. He couldn't do that, not to her—not again. He would just have to suffer through this; pray that _they_ would grow tired of him, and finally just move on to wherever one was supposed to go to once you die. Heaven? Or perhaps hell—Klaus shuddered at the thought; he couldn't even think of the word hell right now. He exhaled a sigh, rubbing a shaky hand through his messy curls.

"It was just a dream, Klaus. You're okay, it was only a dream."

A few moments passed, and Riley drifted to sleep within his loving arms. Klaus delicately laid her down within her Pack 'N Play to rest for a while; taking this open opportunity to follow Dave's parting instructions. He filled a glass with water from the tap and took a few eager sips before searching the fridge for food. Klaus was surprised to find it fully stocked—had Dave done all of this? His eyes widened as he threw open the freezer just to find the same thing: Fully stocked shelves with a surplus of goodies for him to eat. Klaus smiled to himself as he took stock of all of the food to his disposal; he would have to thank Dave for all of this later.

He plucked a package of frozen waffles out of the freezer; Klaus couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten waffles, they'd always been a favorite of his. He removed two from the box, replacing it back within the freezer before promptly popping them into the toaster. He peered back inside the fridge only to find maple syrup; not the cheap fake crap, either—the real deal stuff that actually derived from the trees. Klaus laughed, imagining that Dave had probably gone all the way to Canada just to get it. Hell, knowing Dave, he'd probably tapped the tree himself. He shook his head at the absurdity just as the toaster popped. Klaus had to restrain his drool from flowing out of his mouth, the smell of the waffles were tantalizing.

Klaus laid the waffles onto a plate and doused them in a healthy serving of maple syrup before resuming his position on the bar stool and digging in. He'd nearly forgotten what waffles taste like; sweet, and crunchy while still soft and fluffy. He licked his thumb when some of the syrup somehow managed to find its way onto his skin. Klaus hummed in pleasure as the flavors assaulted his taste buds, he never realized how much he missed something as simple as this; he cursed his years on the streets for depriving him from such delicacies.

Klaus ate half of the serving before he found himself to simply be too full to continue; he would have to make a mental note not to waste so much food. After so many years with meals being so few and far between his stomach was no longer accustomed to eating a full sized helping, or really much food at all. His eyes were evidently still far too large for his stomach. Smaller servings would have to suffice until he could handle bigger portions. Klaus slid the plate away from himself and he smiled; knowing that in time, Dave would help him get there.

Riley started to rouse in her crib, her nap evidently not lasting very long. Klaus's lips quirked into a wry grin in her direction before he rose from his seat and strolled to his little ones wriggling form.

"That wasn't a long lived nap, now was it sweetie?" Klaus brought her to his chest, pressing her against his warm skin. "What if daddy just holds you, think you could rest for a little while longer? Yeah? Okay, let's have a seat." Klaus cuddled her close, running his fingers through her curls while he brushed his lips delicately against her temples in an adoring kiss. "Daddy loves you so much princess."

Klaus cradled Riley against his chest as he took a seat on the couch. He rocked her, rubbing her back in a soothing manner while he sang her her favorite song. Klaus's smile never faltered; he was perfectly content just being in this moment—he and his daughter; alone, cuddled together in each others arms. She was relaxed, she was happy, _she was_ _safe_.

_As was he..._

Klaus felt his own eyelids beginning to droop; the fatigue from his lack of sleep still not fully mitigated even after getting a full night's rest. Well, not that he would classify whatever last night was as 'rest'. Sure, his eyes were closed, and he was not conscious, but he found that in truth, it could not have been any further from what actual rest should have been.

Klaus still couldn't get that dream - if he could even classify it as that. No, it was most definitely a nightmare - out of his mind. The forlorn voices calling his name, claiming he was one of them, that he'd never be rid of them. The flames that nipped at his flesh from within the pit to hell. He still could almost feel the sensation of him falling, still feel _them_ reaching for him, trying to _touch_ him. Klaus shuddered at the thought. He sighed, tilting his head back to rest against the cushions of the sofa.

Klaus was just still so tired, maybe he could try to sleep, if even just for a few minutes...

Riley's crying put an instant damper on that thought, completely stomping the idea into the ground. He smiled even still, tilting his head down to look at his daughter's tiny upset features.

"You know, princess, daddy would like a nap too." He smoothed her curls atop her head before tucking her closer against himself and leveraging his weary body off of the couch. An offensive smelling odor wafted into his nostrils; causing him to grimace at the scent. "You're stinky squirt, did you take a boom boom?" Klaus held her tiny little body up closer to his face, he didn't even have to sniff any harder to know his assumptions were correct. Klaus exhaled a laugh as he pinched his nose with his free hand. "Woah, pee-ew what a big boom boom! Let's get you in the bath, okay princess?"

Klaus held Riley close to him as he settled her little elephant bathtub onto the kitchen counter. He learned that having it up high would save his back from the stress of needing to lean over the regular bathtub. Admittedly, he was a little nervous to try his luck again with bathing her; she'd hated it so much the last time, but judging by the smell she was giving off, he knew that a full blown scrub down would definitely be in order.

Klaus nearly gagged at the scent that permeated his nostrils as he stripped the clothing from his daughter's small frame - the stench was rather overwhelming. He wondered how on earth something so tiny and so gosh darn cute could create such a foul odor. Using a baby wipe, Klaus cleansed the excess mess from Riley's bum before laying her down inside of her tub that he'd already filled with warm water in preparation for her.

"Let's clean you up, princess. Try not to fuss too much, okay? We gotta make you not so stinky-stinky, yeah? Yeah!" He cooed to Riley as she peered up to him, a curious glimmer in her giant blue eyes.

Klaus dunked a soft washcloth into the bath water, adding a small amount of her baby wash onto it before lathering it up within his hands. He ran the cloth over her tiny figure, cleaning away all of her mess, being sure to get between all of her pudgy little folds, and rolls. Klaus cleaned between each one of her fingers and all ten of her precious little toes. He smiled, cooing to her as he cleaned. He was thankful she wasn't fighting him this time. He only wished Ben or Dave could have seen her now, how well she was behaving, how good he was doing, and how much they were both improving. Dave would probably tell him he wasn't improving, but that he had it in him all along. Klaus exhaled a laugh at the thought.

Dave always thought so highly of him, was always so quick to encourage Klaus, tell him that he could do no wrong. He didn't understand why he always did that; make him feel so good about himself, like he was actually _worthy_ of something. Like he deserved nothing but positivity to come his way. Dave was always so kind to him, he didn't understand it—but God, did he appreciate it. Dave had such a way about him, always making Klaus feel so special, so, dare he say, loved. He honestly didn't know where he or Riley would be right now if it weren't for Dave, he was a godsend to them, he was everything they needed and more. Klaus was so incredibly grateful for Dave's presence in their life. He only hoped Dave wouldn't wise up and decide to leave him behind like everyone else always had his entire existence.

Klaus sunk down to Riley's level, his bright green eyes meeting her brilliant blues.

"We gotta have a serious conversation here, pipsqueak. Can I trust you to keep a secret?" Riley just looked at Klaus; her mouth opening and closing as quiet hums escaped her lips. "Hey now, loose lips sink ships. You gotta promise this doesn't leave between us, okay?"

Klaus held out his pinky finger, he needed a pinky promise to clarify this secret would stay between just them. Riley wrapped her hand around his pinky, a loud cooing sound grazing her lips as she clenched her tiny fist tighter against his digit. Klaus smiled, gently shaking his pinky up and down.

"I knew I could count on you princess. Listen, is daddy crazy, or is Dave super sweet and helpful. He's so good with you, honey bee. And you seem to really like him—should daddy step up his flirting game?" Riley puckered her lips into a pout, quietly making tiny cooing sounds. "I need a more definitive answer than that, Riles. Give me a sign if you think daddy should try to flirt with Dave; or at least try to see if he'd be interested."

Riley cooed loudly; all four of her limbs thrashing within the basin of her tub, sending water sloshing over the sides and drenching the counter as well as Klaus. He laughed, holding his arms up to blockade the monsoon of water she pelted him with.

"Now _that's_ an answer! Wow, baby girl, I didn't know you felt so strongly about this!" Klaus's laughter intensified as Riley's thrashing alleviated; her giant eyes staring straight at him. "Can daddy get a high five?" Her lips quirked into a lopsided grin that proudly displayed her perfect dimples in her precious little cheeks, her arms however, stayed still. "Oh, come on—don't leave daddy hanging!" He brought his palm closer to hers; causing her to excitedly wiggled her arms before latching onto his hand with both of her tiny fists. Klaus exhaled a gentle laugh through his nose, his eyes brimming with amazement and adoration—god, he loved his precious girl. "That's close enough for me, sweetie! What a team!"

Klaus finished rinsing the suds from Riley's tiny figure, humming a happy tune to her as he pulled her out of the bath. He bundled his baby girl into her adorable elephant hooded towel that her uncle Benny got for her; smiling at how cute she looked in it before he cuddled her against his chest.

"All clean! Yay!" He softly cheered, clapping his hands together before he grazed his fingers through her water dampened curls as he kissed the crown of her head. Klaus held Riley close against his chest as he poured the water from her bath down the drain. Klaus cuddled his baby girl and just marveled at her beauty; he just couldn't get enough of his perfect little angel. "You smell so good now, princess." He smiled against her damp curls; inhaling the soft clean scent of her skin. Klaus just loved her so much. He gently rubbed her back, singing softly to her as he turned to leave the kitchen.

_What Klaus was met with nearly stopped his heart..._

When he turned around he came face to face with _them_ again—the horrific souls of the dead. Klaus startled, hugging Riley closer against his chest; covering her head protectively—_they_ were back. Everywhere he looked, hundreds of them. Dark, menacing disfigured faces of the damned. He couldn't escape; not while sleeping, nor while awake.

_They were always there..._

"Please, no, just go away!" They were calling to him; screaming so loud that his ears were ringing. "Stop, please. Just, please, leave us alone!" Their shouts only got louder the more that he begged. Klaus winced at the pain that tore through his head, they were just so loud, why did they have to scream?

They encircled them; closer, and closer, and louder, and louder...

"They can't touch you, Klaus. They can't touch her. She's safe, you're safe." Klaus chanted to himself repeatedly; he needed to ground himself, reminding himself that they would be okay. He took a deep shuddering breath, closing his eyes as he passed through the entities; the sensation of them against his skin chilled him to his core. Klaus knew he had to disregard them, they couldn't touch them, they were safe. He had to ignore them, tend to his daughter. She was here, she was real, and she needed him to hold it together for _her_.

Klaus laid Riley down on the couch as he finished quickly drying her off. She stared up at him, crooked smile on her face; eyes bright and beautifully pure. Klaus smiled at her, slipping her diaper on before he started to pull her onesie on over it - when out of nowhere drops of black tar-like sludge began to drip onto the couch to either side of her tiny innocent frame.

Was that—_blood_?

Or what once was blood?

Suddenly there was a rush of wind against the back of his neck; hot, thick and uncomfortable. Klaus soon realized it was not a breeze; but the putrid breath of the dead breathing down his neck. So close he could _feel_ it, his hair was standing on end, goosebumps blanketing his skin with each stale breath they took. His hands trembled as he struggled to fasten Riley's clothing onto her, he couldn't control his tremors. Klaus winced when their voices resounded around him; so many indiscernible voices, they were just so _loud_. His head was pounding with a headache; no, a migraine and his eardrums felt as though they may burst.

Klaus could hardly focus, his vision blurred as his energy steadily continued to fade—why was he so tired? This had to have been just from his lack of sleep, right? It couldn't...it couldn't be from _them_? Were _they_ causing this? Could these entities be responsible for his dizziness and fatigue? Could that even be possible?

_Klaus felt so weak, so tired and so unbelievably vulnerable..._

Klaus was so exhausted, and they were just so damn loud, he didn't know what to do. He bundled Riley into his protective embrace; just so thankful she couldn't see or hear them, too. He turned to face them. They were so close; right there, the room was so congested by them he could almost swear he could feel them against his flesh. Klaus closed his eyes as he stumbled back a pace, his mind was swimming with dizziness, he was just so fatigued. He needed to face his fears, he needed to get away from them. Klaus pressed Riley closer as he pushed himself through the horde—he could physically feel their tension against his body, the resistance as he trudged through them. Klaus's arms burned, he swore it was as though they were almost able to touch him; their nails clawing through his exposed skin. That would be impossible, it couldn't be. They couldn't touch him, _could they_? He was so exhausted, he felt like he would collapse—but he didn't—he _couldn't_.

Klaus did it, he pushed past the apparitions and reached through to the other side; they were _safe_. Klaus barely made it to the couch before he was hit with an intense bout of vertigo. His lower limbs failing him, crumbling out from beneath his weary frame. He clung to the armrest of the sofa, using it to aid in heaving his unstable body onto the bolstered upholstery. Klaus slumped down roughly onto the couch; coiling his shaky knees against his chest as he hugged his daughter impossibly close against his rampaging heart.

Klaus rocked Riley, trying desperately to get his precious angel to sleep. Maybe if she would rest, he wouldn't feel as awful about the abhorrent company that surrounded them. Klaus groaned as the shrieking calls of the dead continued to intensify; his head was pounding and his ears hurt so badly. He clenched his eyes closed trying hopelessly to get them to leave him be.

"Please, stop, I'm begging you. Please!" They were all around them—screaming his name, cursing his daughter's. He just wanted them to go. Klaus had to stifle his tears when Riley began to cry alongside the dead. He held her tighter, running his fingers over her tiny back in hopes of soothing her but nothing seemed to work. She was clean, she'd just been fed, he didn't know how else he could satisfy her. Was she merely feeding off of the energy surrounding her? The stress and fear of her daddy? Klaus only wished Dave was there; Dave with his ever comforting presence. Dave, with his kind eyes and his genuinely caring soul. Klaus knew that realistically Dave couldn't do anything to help him, but his presence alone would offer him so much comfort—he only wished he had him in that moment.

Time passed by slowly as the horrible sounds surrounding Klaus continued to escalate; he rocked back and forth cradling Riley to his chest—he was so out of sorts he hadn't even realized when she'd thankfully finally drifted to sleep. His eyes were pinched tightly shut as he cupped his right ear with his HELLO hand; the only free hand he had. He hadn't even noticed the blood trickling from his left ear, nor had he tasted the metallic flavor of the blood he'd drawn from his lips that he'd anxiously been gnawing on the last few hours.

Hours—that's how long Klaus had been sitting there; encompassed by the shrill screaming of the dead. Klaus's eyes felt so heavy, he was just so tired, he just wanted to sleep...

Why couldn't they just let him sleep…

"I'm back, and I come bearing gifts of pizza, and, oh—" Dave arrived at the house after his shift at work ended, still fully suited and booted in his uniform; had Klaus not been so consumed by his demons, he would have found Dave to be rather swoon worthy, decked out in his police attire. Dave entered the kitchen; his hands full with a box of pizza, a two-liter of soda and a stuffed elephant toy he'd seen in a little shop and just had to pick up for Riley. He set the items down on the counter before realizing Riley was asleep within Klaus's arms. "Sorry," Dave held his hands up in apology as he lowered his tone, his voice a soft whisper. "Did I wake her?"

Klaus opened his dreary green eyes and peered to Dave. He shook his head as he returned his focus to his daughter, delicately rubbing circles up and down her back to soothe her. Dave's eyebrows furrowed with instant worry as he took in Klaus's ragged appearance. He looked pale, and downright exhausted. And...were those scratches on his arms? Yes, there were so many—shallow collections of cuts running all along both of his slender extremities. Those had not been there before Dave left that morning, had Klaus done that to himself? Dave didn't know how to explain it, but something wasn't right, he could sense it. Klaus just seemed _off_.

"Klaus, you look beat. Are you okay?"

"M'okay, I'm just famished, is all." Klaus's lips tugged into a weary smile as he addressed Dave. Of course, he was lying, he couldn't exactly explain what was wrong though, could he? What could he even say? Dave—I'm not doing so hot, I've been tormented by the souls of the dead for the past, oh, six hours and I'm so exhausted from being their personal conduit, I feel like I could drop into a comatose state at any second? Yeah, that would go over well. No, he couldn't explain his personal torment, Dave would never understand.

"You sure? Dave gently cupped Klaus's cheek within his palm while he softly stroked the pad of his thumb over his sharp cheekbone. Klaus's shaky hand wrapped around Dave's wrist; a delicate yet forced smile gracing his tired features.

"Dave, M'okay, really." Dave didn't believe him, there was something wrong, he knew there was. Klaus was so out of it; his usually bright and bubbly personality dulled to a faint murmur. And then those cuts? Had he been self harming? Dave didn't understand why Klaus was so adamant about building these walls and blocking him out. He would find out what was wrong, but he would have to give Klaus his space for now and address this subject a little later on. He couldn't spook him, cause him to shy away. Dave needed to get answers, get to the bottom of this. He needed to help Klaus.

"Okay, if you're sure. Let me just change real quick and I'll help you get Riley to bed, yeah?" Klaus smiled at Dave with an appreciative nod.

"Yeah, thanks. That'd be great."

Dave smiled sadly at Klaus as he gathered his overnight bag into his arms. He didn't understand what was wrong with Klaus, but he knew that something was definitely amiss. He quickly entered the bathroom being sure to hurry; not wanting to leave Klaus unattended for long. Dave stripped out of his police uniform, carefully removing his belt with his gun, and all of it's other accompanying accouterments before he carefully folded them up, and placed them inside of his duffel. He was sure to be extra cautious that his safety was on, removing the clip and ensuring his chamber was empty for good measure. Riley may have only been a baby, but he wouldn't dare take the risk. Especially not with Klaus so unwell.

Dave worried for his mental stability and personal wellbeing. He'd worked in his line of duty long enough to recognize the signs of when someone could potentially pose a threat to themselves, and well, something was most definitely wrong with Klaus, and Dave was very much concerned for Klaus's safety. He knew he would never do anything to harm his daughter, or him, but himself? Dave threw on his pajama bottoms; a pair of comfortable black joggers and exited the bathroom while still pulling his baby blue tee over his head.

Klaus's dull green eyes never even perked as Dave approached him on the couch; he was entirely unaware of his presence, too exhausted and overwhelmed by the demonic entities still surrounding him. Suddenly he startled, Dave's strong yet caring grip bracing against his shoulders.

"Hey, I've got her. You just relax, okay?" Dave smiled warmly at Klaus, gently squeezing his narrow shoulders as he peered deeply into his weary green eyes. Klaus nodded, examining the caring man's face before him. He couldn't help but notice how Dave's light blue shirt brought out the intensity of the blue in his beautifully kind eyes.

"Thanks."

Dave tentatively took Riley into his arms. He rocked her and cuddled her for a few moments while he watched her daddy on the couch. Dave just couldn't get over the distant look in Klaus's eyes. Something was wrong, he knew something had to be, he could feel it in his gut. Dave gently laid Riley's slumbering form down inside of her Pack 'N Play. He rubbed her back and smoothed her curls against her head. He couldn't help but smile as he watched her peacefully sleep.

"I got the pizza you wanted. Plain cheese for you, pepperoni for me." Klaus didn't so much as blink at Dave's words. He frowned, approaching Klaus and kneeling down in front of him. "Klaus? You okay? Dinner is here, want me to set you a plate?"

"Hmm?" Klaus's eyes fluttered as he tried to focus his blurry vision; finally peering into Dave's concerned blue gaze. "Oh, right, pizza. Thanks, I'm starved."

"Are you alright?" Dave's eyebrows furrowed with worry as he leaned in closer to examine Klaus's pale features. "You sick?"

"M'sorry," Klaus straightened, sitting upright as he attempted to act ordinary. He didn't want to alarm Dave. He was fine, he wasn't alone anymore with them, he was safe. "M'just still tired. I can eat, though, really. Thanks."

Dave didn't look too confident in Klaus's answer, but he smiled and nodded anyways; giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze to reassure him.

"I'll make you a plate."

Dave went into the kitchen and quickly fixed himself a plate with two slices of pepperoni pizza on it. He also set one for Klaus, giving him one slice of cheese. Dave knew Klaus's appetite still wasn't up to snuff, and decided he could always get him more if he was still hungry later on. He proceeded to fill two glasses with soda, and an extra glass with water to ensure Klaus was staying hydrated. Dave knew in his heart he needed to do everything in his power to make sure Klaus's health was at its best; especially now. He re-entered the living room, setting the plates and beverages down on the coffee table before he sat beside Klaus on the couch.

"Here," Dave eased the glass of water into Klaus's unsteady hands. "Drink some of this first, maybe you're still dehydrated."

Klaus nodded as he attempted to tighten his grip on the water. He held the glass to his lips and tipped his head back, allowing the cool beverage to swirl into his mouth before swallowing. He flinched, pulling the glass away as his eyes pinched closed, a hiss escaping his parched lips. That's when Dave first spotted it; a flash of crimson, the color a drastic contrast against Klaus's pale skin—_blood_. There was blood pooling out of Klaus's left ear; spilling down his jawline.

"Klaus, holy shit. Your ear is bleeding." Klaus winced, cupping his hand to his ear before pulling it away and admiring the sticky red substance on his fingertips.

"Oh," Klaus pinched the blood; his blood between his thumb and forefinger. His voice was lackluster, staying level and worn. "My eardrum must've ruptured."

"Ruptured? You say that so nonchalant." Dave's face was contorted with worry. What on earth would cause such a thing, had Klaus somehow done that to himself, too? "Stay here, I'm going to clean you up."

Dave quickly ran into the bathroom to collect a washcloth; rifling through the medicine cabinet where he found some peroxide. He remembered his sister bursting her eardrum when they were younger and knew not to stick anything inside of it, but he could clean the exterior of the ear to help prevent infection.

"Lean back, let me get a good look at it." Klaus complied, easing himself back against the cushions of the sofa. Dave delicately cupped his chin; maneuvering Klaus's head to get a better view. Dave worked at gently cleansing the blood away from Klaus's ear, being extra careful not to cause him any additional pain. Klaus winced a few times, clearly in quite a bit of discomfort. Why hadn't he told Dave that this happened as soon as he arrived back at the house?

Klaus had his fingers drawn to his mouth as he ravenously gnawed at the skin around his cuticles. Dave immediately winced himself once he realized Klaus was rapidly drawing blood. "Klaus, you're hurting yourself." Dave grabbed ahold of his hand with such a tender touch, pulling it away from his lips. Klaus looked at his shaky hand within Dave's, before peering into his caring blue eyes.

"S-sorry. It's a nervous tick of mine."

"Well, not anymore. Here," Dave removed a chain from around his own neck and draped it over Klaus's, "whenever I feel anxious I just hold these, twist them around on the chain. It helps ground me—I want you to have them." Klaus gathered the item into his hands: they were dog tags. _Dave's_ dog tags from his time in the military.

"Dave, I can't accept these." Klaus attempted to slip the coveted item from around his neck, But Dave's firm yet gentle hands stopped him.

"Keep them, I insist. I hope they can bring you relief like they brought me when I was deployed. I don't need them anymore. Looks like you could use them a hell of a lot more than me." Dave grinned at Klaus, earning a genuine smile in return. Dave was so kind, so nurturing, and Klaus still couldn't fathom how this man could treat him with such kindness.

"Wow, Dave. Thank you, I—" Klaus suddenly winced, his body cowering back as a gasp vacated his throat. He pinched his eyes tightly closed trying to ignore the visions he was seeing. _They_ were right there, _they_ were back. Standing just over Dave's shoulder; taunting him, mocking him. Why couldn't they just leave him be? Klaus clutched Dave's dog tags; he pulled them into his palms and pressed them against his eyes as he leaned forward, desperately trying to block his view of _them_. Dave's own eyes filled with worry; what was happening with Klaus?

"Seriously, what's wrong?" Dave leaned towards Klaus, cupping his cheek within his hands as he frantically examined his exhausted features. "Klaus, I can tell something is wrong, please tell me. I can't help you if you don't let me in."

"Y-you can't help me, Dave. You don't understand." His lips trembled as he spoke, his fear bubbling out of his chest.

"Make me understand, Klaus. I want to, please. I want to help you."

The voices grew louder again, screaming Klaus's name. His ears were ringing, they were burning. They were just so loud, so deafeningly loud! He just wanted them to shut up.

"No, no, no, please stop..."

Something wasn't right, Dave didn't know exactly what, but whatever it was, it was seriously wrong. Why was Klaus pleading for him to stop? Why was he repeating the same mantra over and over again? Why was he—wait.

Everything started to click into place within Dave's brain as he pieced everything together. Klaus was Diego's brother, Diego had abilities. Did Klaus have these abilities too? Could that have something to do with what was happening?

"Klaus, if Diego is your brother, that means you were part of that...umbrella academy, right? With the powers?" Klaus peeled his hands away from his eyes so he could look into Dave's brilliant blues; he expected to see the look of disgust; hatred, even. Klaus was surprised when he was instead met with a look of concern and...understanding? "I didn't even think of it—your tattoos on your hands, your the Séance, aren't you? Is that what this is? Are you seeing ghosts right now? Is that what's wrong?"

Klaus didn't understand why, but as soon as Dave mentioned the word 'ghosts' the otherworldly entities dispersed, leaving just he and Dave alone amongst one another in the room. Klaus inhaled a deep breath, relaxing against the sofa and finally allowed himself to open up to Dave; admitting the truth.

"T-They're always there. They never give me a moments peace, they never leave me be." Klaus closed his eyes as he rested his head back against the plush couch, a tear rolling down his cheek. He was quiet, unsure of what Dave would think, or say. Surely he wouldn't want to stick around now, stay anywhere near the let down of the academy, the weakest link. The freak who's abilities were only good for tormenting their host. Dave frowned as he watched Klaus's walls crumble down from around him. He was proud of Klaus for being honest. Everything made sense now.

"Why don't you tell them to leave?"

Klaus scoffed, opening his eyes and looking at Dave for the first time with disdain behind his irises.

"Don't you think I've tried that? They don't listen! They're always there; screaming at me, cursing at me. Threatening me and Riley. They don't have to listen to my pleading, they're dead. I can't do anything to stop them. My powers are worthless, just like me."

"Klaus, no—" Dave wanted to comfort him, to tell him that he was wrong, that he was the farthest thing from worthless, but he didn't get that chance. The next words out of Klaus's mouth shattered Dave's heart, spewing the fragmented pieces along the living room floor.

"They—They _scare_ me, Dave. I'm fucking _terrified_. I'm powerless against them. I-I'm lost, I don't know what to do—"

"Klaus, I will protect you, then. I don't know how, but I will. We will figure this out—" Klaus laughed, a manic almost depressing sound as he sunk deeper into the cushions of the sofa.

"_Wow_, Dave, the sentiment is appreciated, really, it is. Except, you can't." Klaus's voice trailed off as his eyes slipped shut once more. He spoke again; voice barely above a whisper. "_No one can_."

An uncomfortable silence filled the room, neither man knowing just what to say or do. Dave wanted to comfort Klaus, but was unsure of what would be the best thing to say, while Klaus just wanted Dave to forget the truth about him altogether. Klaus was embarrassed by his abilities. He'd never been able to control them, and he ran away from them for years by drowning out their voices with alcohol, and blinding their sinister visions from his eyes with drugs. It was bad enough that he was aware that these things existed, but burdening _Dave_ with the truth? He couldn't stand it.

He couldn't stand the silence though, either. Besides, he felt bad for being so brash with Dave. He only wanted to help, he shouldn't have yelled at him for not understanding something that he himself didn't even fully understand. Klaus adjusted on the couch while he peered at Dave. He cleared his throat as he sat forward and took ahold of his glass of water into his hands.

"Doesn't your girlfriend wonder where you've disappeared off to the last few days? She doesn't mind me stealing all of your attention. She ought to be jealous of Riley, another woman stealing all of your affection." Klaus shot Dave a crooked smile trying to lighten the mood. Dave looked into his eyes, a smile covering his face as he let out an amused laugh.

"Well, I don't have a girlfriend. Never have, actually. I'm gay." He paused as he ran his fingers through his dirty blonde curls. "And I'm single, no boyfriend. Not since, _shit_, sophomore year in high school. It's hard to date!" Both men chorused together in a laugh. Had Klaus heard correctly? Dave, the man he'd been fawning over was gay?

"What about you?" Dave asked, a curious smirk across his chiseled jawline. Klaus cleared his throat. He took a sip of his water; stifling a wince as the action irritated his burst eardrum before looking straight into Dave's beautiful eyes.

"I'm a wildcard baby, can't be tamed. I'm what you might consider a pansexual. I'm rated E for everyone." Both men laughed once more, Dave nodded as he took a bite of his pizza, his smile intensifying when Klaus did the same.

"May I ask, why aren't you with Riley's mother? I know you said you two never really were 'a thing', but may I ask why not?" Klaus exhaled a sigh, taking another bite of his pizza before setting it down on his plate. He chewed slowly to draw out his answer. Klaus didn't know how Dave would react to his ugly truth.

"Avery?" Klaus began, adjusting so he was sitting on his crossed legs atop the couch. "Remember how I said I was homeless, and a drug addict before Riley came along? Well, I did what I had to in order to get by; you know, survive out on the streets. There's not a whole lot of ways to pay for food, or a room, or drugs when you're unemployed, Dave. So I did the only thing I could." He paused, his gaze trailing down to Dave's dog tags within his hands; he hadn't even realized he'd been fiddling with them the entire conversation. "She and I, we uh, we would have casual sex in exchange for drugs. But...I'm not that person anymore. I never will be again."

Dave's lips quirked into a soft and understanding smile; who was he to judge Klaus for his actions? He didn't know him then, but he knew him now, and he knew him well. Klaus was a genuine, gentle and kind person with a beautiful soul. That's all that mattered to Dave; who Klaus is, not who he once was. He laid a hand atop Klaus's knee giving it a gentle and reassuring squeeze in hopes of putting his reeling mind at ease.

"I know, Klaus. I believe you."

Klaus smiled; a real smile. One of pure authenticity. That was Dave—always kind, always so comforting, and absolutely _perfect_. He could never truly understand just how important it was for Klaus to hear someone say those words to him; that they trusted him, _believed_ in him. Dave was amazing; inside and out. Klaus felt truly safe simply knowing that Dave was there with him. They were together, they were _safe_.

They enjoyed each other's company, eating their pizza in peace as the static noise of some random Disney movie playing in the background pervaded the living room. Klaus felt content, he felt safe, but his eyelids felt unimaginably heavy.

Klaus smiled as he cuddled against the cushions of the sofa and at long last peacefully drifted to sleep.

—

_Klaus..._

_You've come back to us, Klaus..._

_You've returned..._

_We told you, Klaus...you're one of us..._

_You're meant to be one of us..._

_Dead like us..._

_Join us Klaus..._

_Klaus couldn't breathe; his heart was stuck in his throat and his lungs had seized to a halt. He was plummeting again; down, down, down, deeper, and deeper, and deeper..._

_He was so hot, the heat that engulfed him was insufferable and only gaining intensity as he rapidly descended closer, and closer to the flames. The fiery bowels of hell were swiftly swallowing him whole, and gearing up to consume him; turn him, change him into one of them._

_Soon you'll be just as we are, Klaus..._

_Accept us; accept who you are, who you're meant to be..._

_What you've always been meant to be..._

_Dead..._

_Dead, like us..._

_Death becomes you, Klaus..._

_"No, please!" He begged as his body hurtled deeper into the pit. Klaus's eyes were burning from the smoke caused by the flames; they were filled with tears that steadily streamed down his fear stricken face as he screamed in unabashed anguish. "You can't have me! My daughter needs me! I can't leave her, I can't leave Riley!"_

_No one needs you, Klaus..._

_But, we do..._

_We need you, Klaus..._

_The walls started narrowing the deeper he fell. His ragged breaths grew shallower and insubstantial as the air grew thinner and full of fumes. He couldn't breathe..._

_"Please..." He choked through the toxic vapor that surrounded him. The walls continued to close in around him; he was feeling claustrophobic. Klaus's eyes widened in panic when he realized the walls were not walls at all—they were limbs. Klaus was no longer falling; he was physically being dragged down deeper into the abyss. They were all around him, reaching for him, touching him, clawing at his flesh. Klaus screamed in agony as they began to tear into his skin. Abruptly the heat was gone and in its place came an all encompassing coldness; Klaus shivered at the frigid temperatures, his body trembling and his teeth chattering. He was chilled to the bone. They continued to try and rip him apart, trying to peel him open and disembowel him. He could feel them mutilating him. All Klaus felt was pain, and fear, and sadness._

_"Please," Klaus sputtered through a mouth full of blood, his vision blurred and fading quickly, "m-my daughter n-needs me. P-Please don't take me away from her."_

_Klaus was so cold and so tired..._

_He couldn't breathe..._

_Klaus..._

_Klaus..._

_KLAUS..._

—

Dave smiled as he watched the ending of the movie playing on the oversized flat TV screen. He was content; no, he was overwhelmingly _happy_, sitting on a couch amongst a family he truly never felt more a part of until this very moment. Klaus finally opened up to him, laid his heart out on his sleeve for Dave to see. He was honest with him, baring his soul and every insecurity to Dave. He couldn't help but admire his bravery. Dave knew it must've been hard for Klaus to put himself out on display like that; he who had all of his walls and barriers to bury his past. Klaus, who was consumed by his own inhibitions and self-doubt.

Dave glanced at Klaus when he moaned in his sleep. He'd been tossing and turning for quite some time now, seemingly unable to find a comfortable position. It saddened Dave that he seemed unable to find any relief, even as he slept. He watched him; admiring him.

Klaus was brave; a man who had agonized through an unimaginable amount of pain and fear while silently suffering through the appalling sights he was forced to see. A man who bore the weight of an ability, or rather a disability that tormented him, frightened him, and instilled an unspeakable about of trauma into his delicate and fragile soul. It _pained_ Dave to know just how frightening this all was for Klaus, and knowing how long he'd gone through his life with no one to turn to, no one who understood or would offer him support. Dave was there now, though. He wouldn't dare turn and walk away from Klaus. Not now, not _ever_.

Klaus was beautiful; his large emerald green eyes shone brilliantly, displaying his emotions and feelings so openly, like an oversized picture window overlooking the glorious depths of his wondrous soul. His heart was pure; his love so profound, so intense for his daughter. Dave could tell the innate bond between Klaus and Riley the second he spotted them for the first time in that grocery store. He had a heart of gold, pure gold, the rarest kind in the world, and it shimmered brightest for his beautiful baby girl.

"No, no, please." Klaus cried in his sleep, his voice ragged and terrified.

Dave's gaze immediately traveled to Klaus's thrashing form. His eyes widened as he realized the terror on Klaus's features. Klaus was absurdly pale, his skin nearly a stark white. He was covered in a thick layer of sweat, the beads trailing over his sharp cheekbones and clinging to his many curls. Klaus was shaking violently; like he had been trapped outside on a cold winter's night. Dave had to wake him up, he was having another nightmare. Dave slid himself closer to Klaus, planting his palms against his shoulders as he gave him a gentle nudge.

"Klaus, wake up. You're having another nightmare."

"Please, I can't leave her, I can't leave Riley!" Klaus groaned, his lips quivering as he continued to cast himself roughly around on the couch. Dave's features pinched together with sympathy; Klaus's nightmare was about him leaving his daughter?

"Klaus, please wake up. You're not going anywhere, Riley is right here, she's safe, you're—"

Klaus's breathing grew raspy and unsteady. He struggled to take in any air, his body went rigid as his hips thrust off of the sofa; his back arching into a precariously uncomfortable position. Dave's concern continued to strengthen, Klaus's erratic behavior while he dreamt was worrisome. Dave was genuinely scared he would hurt himself. He needed to wake him up. He needed to comfort Klaus, and calm him down.

"Klaus, please wake up, you're okay, you're safe, you're—"

"M-My daughter n-needs me. P-Please don't take me away from her." Dave gasped, his blood freezing in his veins at the horrific scene enfolding before him.

Klaus was gagging on his words; a dense molasses-like sludge was seeping from his nostrils and mouth, replacing the oxygen in his lungs. Dave didn't know what the substance was, but, whatever it was, it stole Klaus's breath away—it was asphyxiating. Dave needed to wake Klaus up, now!

_Klaus was suffocating, he couldn't breathe…_

Tears were streaming down Klaus's pallid face as he choked and gagged; his body writhing in pain while he struggled to suck air into his oxygen deprived lungs. Dave shook him forcefully, as hard as he possibly could. He needed to wake him, he couldn't breathe!

"Klaus! Klaus, please! Please, wake up! Klaus!"

Klaus's body launched forward in a frenzy while he choked on the discharge coming out of his throat. He was frantically gasping for oxygen, shuddering coughs racking his frail frame trying desperately to fill his lungs. His terrified emerald eyes burst open in a panic. Dave wasted not a moment's time in grabbing ahold of him, wrapping his arms around Klaus's weary frame protectively. He needed to hold him, to ground him, to save him.

"Klaus, talk to me, are you okay?"

Klaus's fists entangled into the soft fabric of Dave's worn cotton shirt. His eyes were open but focused on nothing. Klaus's chest heaved as he struggled to breathe. The ooze stopped spilling from his lips, but he could still taste the vile excrement on his tongue. Klaus's heart was pounding in his chest, trying to break free from its imprisonment within his rib cage.

"Hey, hey you're okay. I-I've got you. Breathe, Klaus. Just try to breathe." Dave tried to calm him, to encourage him, but Klaus wouldn't respond; he wouldn't so much as flinch. Dave's worried blue eyes gazed deep into Klaus's petrified green ones; his pupils were blown wide with fear.

"Klaus, What the hell was that?" Dave desperately tried to gain his attention, pull him back to himself, back to reality. "Are you okay? Please, answer me." Klaus flinched, his eyes wrenching shut as he curled in on himself, his grip on Dave's shirt tightening. That's when Dave realized that Klaus's fists were faintly glowing blue. His body shivered, a pained groan bursting past his trembling lips. Klaus's 'nightmares' lived beyond the realm of sleep, they followed him into his conscious state, too. It killed Dave to see, Klaus never found any reprieve from his abilities.

"Are _they_ here now?" Klaus whimpered, his head nodding as he finally acknowledged Dave's presence causing Dave's heart to drop. Klaus was scared, he needed to help him. He needed to save him, there had to be a way. Dave wrapped his arms around Klaus's slender frame, pulling him tight against his chest in a bone crushing embrace. His own heartbeat thudding against Klaus's irregular one. Dave needed to hold Klaus, to ground him, to protect him.

"I'm here, Klaus. They can't get you. You're safe. You're safe, you hear me? I won't let them touch you, I'll—" Dave's speech abruptly halted.

Suddenly the room was brimming with a vivid blue illumination of light. It was blinding, and loud—_so incredibly loud_. Dave squinted his eyes, ducking his head as he shrugged his shoulders to cover his ears in a vain attempt to staunch the sound. Dave soon realized that the light and sound were both coming from..._Klaus_?

Klaus was screaming; his head was wrenched back, his agonizing howls penetrating like electricity in the static air. His entire being was radiating an overwhelming blue aura.

_Klaus…_

_Klaus, you're one of us…_

_Join us Klaus…_

Dave's head whipped around to the sound of the detached unearthly voices; his own eyes widening in fear. _They_ were there—the ghosts. Dave could see them now, too. They were everywhere, so many undead souls. They were surrounded. Hundreds of them, mutilated corpses all wailing in agony, screaming Klaus's name. It was terrifying. They inched closer, causing Klaus's body to jolt with pain with each lumbering step they took; could he feel what they felt?

Dave held Klaus as he began to cry, his body seizing with each heart wrenching sob. Dave couldn't stand to see him that way, so scared, so _broken_.

_Klaus, you belong with us…_

_Accept who you are, Klaus…_

_Give into your abilities…_

The souls of the damned approached the two frightened men on the couch; closer, and closer. Dave himself felt his heart starting to seize. Then out of nowhere, the entities energy suddenly shifted; their focus directing elsewhere as they slowly redirected their attention away from Dave and Klaus.

Dave's heart clenched; plummeting from his chest when _they_ fixated their dastardly attention on Riley, Klaus's little girl, instead. Dave was disgusted; she was a baby, just an innocent _baby_!

"No! Please!" Klaus's broken voice begged; pleading them to stop. "D-Don't touch her, please!" He sucked in a breath, his energy nearly spent. "P-Please d-don't touch my daughter!"

The entities encircled around Riley's crib; their menacing claws stretching towards her. They had no intention of listening to Klaus, and every intention of harming his precious child. Klaus's body shook with exhaustion and overwhelming fear; no longer fear for himself, but fear for his daughter. They were here, they were planning on inflicting harm on her, she wasn't safe. Klaus had all the power in this situation, and yet no power at all. Klaus couldn't help her, he wailed because he couldn't save his own daughter.

Dave couldn't take any more of this; he couldn't just sit by and allow them to hurt Riley, or continue to hurt Klaus any longer. They didn't deserve such an unspeakable fate. They didn't deserve such torture. He didn't understand just what the intentions of these evil beings were, but he didn't care to learn. He just knew he had to put an end to their incessant torment. Dave promised Klaus that he would keep him safe—he still didn't know how he would be able to accomplish fulfilling his promise, but dammit he had to try something; anything at all. He refused to allow this to carry on any longer. Dave needed to rescue them, liberate them, and save this little family.

So, Dave listened to his heart; and it told him _exactly_ what he needed to do.

Dave lifted his head up; holding it proudly as he spoke with a driving force, a venomous bite on his tongue. He needed them to stop, to leave this family; _his family_, and finally allow them to live in peace.

"Leave! You're not welcome here! This home only welcomes love and light! You're no longer allowed to torment them! You can't touch them! You can't have them! You have no control over them! You are not allowed to stay here! I banish you!" Dave shouted, his voice firm and assertive. His stance was direct, his features set in a stoic sense of resolve. He would not allow this to go on any longer; the torment, the fear. He promised Klaus he would protect him and god dammit, he would stand by his words.

Klaus's body shuddered as he opened his eyes. The spirits were there; whirling around in a frenetic swivet. The entire living room was filled with a blustery current of wind, it was kicking papers off of the counter, and tousling their hair. _They_ were screaming, cursing his name, his daughters name, Dave's name. They were vexed, and seething with hostility. Klaus was scared, mortified. What would they do now, Dave had only angered them, what would happen to them now? What would happen to Riley? He squeezed his eyes shut as tears readily tumbled down his hollowed cheeks. The wraiths were there; they were thick like a layer of smog—and then they _weren't_.

Dave's commands were working. _They_ were dissipating, dissolving and finally leaving him be. Klaus gasped for breath, oxygen at last reaching his lungs as his rigid muscles relaxed against Dave's protective touch. Relief flooded Klaus's weary soul when Dave's tactics worked. Dave and his caring touch, his calm demeanor. Dave and his unending concern—Dave; his _savior_.

"I-It's working," Klaus began, voice quiet and infinitely spent. "They're gone. They're finally gone."

"Klaus, you're okay, now. I promised you I'd keep you safe. I never break a promise." Dave held Klaus tight as he looked into his exhausted eyes. He frowned at the sensation of Klaus's cold body in his arms. "Hey, you're shivering." Dave tightened his arms around Klaus's trembling frame. He pressed his cheek against Klaus's curls as he just held him there. Klaus needed this, he needed to be held, to feel safe, to feel warm. Dave needed it, too.

Time seemed to stand still, a moment paused in juncture as their hearts merged together as one, their heartbeats syncing to the others own panicked rhythm. Dave rubbed comforting circles against Klaus's back to soothe him; his tremors finally beginning to slow.

"I'm so sorry." Klaus whispered against the exposed skin of Dave's shoulder. Dave just held him tighter, gently rocking him in his arms.

"Hey, it's okay," Dave momentarily pulled away, cupping Klaus's cheeks within his steady palms. "Klaus, never apologize for wasn't your fault. You hear me? It wasn't." Klaus wrapped his hands around Dave's wrists, absorbing Dave's caring touch. Their eyes meeting in a steady moment of gravity, pulling them closer to one another.

Klaus stared profoundly into Dave's beautiful eyes; they were deep blue, like the ocean; and Klaus found himself to be drowning in them. They were there, holding each other, staring deep inside each other's soul; Klaus didn't know how to describe the feelings he felt. He couldn't help himself, he was overwhelmed by so many sensations, so many feelings—Relief, joy, compassion, _love_.

Klaus's body gave into fruition; he dove forward into a kiss, his lips crashing against Dave's like the waves against the shore. He hadn't expected this to happen, nor had he anticipated it. Klaus didn't know what ramifications would come from his unsolicited actions, but in that moment he couldn't bring himself to care. Klaus melted against Dave's warmth, his gentle touch relaxing every muscle in his rigid body as their lips partook in their own private dance. Klaus lost track of time, of space, he didn't know how long their lips lingered together as one, all he knew was when he broke free, he was left gasping for air; like he'd just resurfaced after a perilous journey from beneath the sea.

"I-I'm sorry," Klaus began, his heart fluttering as he struggled to catch his breath. What was he thinking, Dave helped him and how did he repay him? By forcing himself upon him.

"What? No, no it's—"

"No, I'm sorry. I'm just..I-I'm just so exhausted, I wasn't thinking clearly." Klaus pulled away from Dave's tender touch, straightening his posture. He was so tired, the room tilted as it started to spin. "I shouldn't have done that, I'm sorry. I-I'm so sorry—." Klaus words faltered as his eyes fluttered; his body began to collapse against the sofa. His energy was thoroughly sapped after his violent day of torture. Dave thrust himself forward, clutching onto Klaus's weakened frame.

"Woah, woah! Easy, I've got you." Dave pressed Klaus's fatigued body against his chest, cupping his cheek in his steady palm as their eyes met; clashing together as one. Dave's blue eyes furrowed in concern when Klaus's green orbs fluttered, struggling to stay awake. "I've got you. You're safe." Dave's voice was soft yet strong with conviction. He stroked his thumb against Klaus's hollowed cheekbones, he needed to soothe him, reassure him that he was okay.

Klaus's lips twitched into a tired smile before his eyelids eventually slipped closed, and his body went slack. Dave held him, he had Klaus now and he would never let him go. Never let him fall. Dave scooped his arm beneath Klaus's knees, pulling his slight figure against his broad chest into a bridal carry. Dave held him for a minute, just relishing being able to hold him. Klaus was still here, he was okay. He was safe. Dave knew he would never let anyone, or _anything_ harm him, or Riley ever again.

"Let's get you to bed."

Dave carried Klaus into his bedroom; he sat on the edge of the mattress as he just held Klaus, keeping him pressed firmly against his own solid chest. Dave couldn't bring himself to let him go, not yet. He continued to hold him, to cradle him. The harrowing idea that Dave could have lost Klaus today kept repeating itself in his mind. He could have lost him, Klaus could have died. _They_ almost got him, they almost stole him away from his _daughter_, away from _him_.

Dave's emotional dam around his heart finally burst and he allowed himself to weep. He only hoped this was the end of it, he couldn't bear the idea of those _things_ coming back and continuing their reign of terror on them again. Dave inhaled a deep breath, finally able to breathe himself. He nestled his chin atop Klaus's sweat dampened curls while he rocked him in his arms, holding his unconscious frame, comforting him as best as he could. Dave peeled back the blankets and delicately laid Klaus's exhausted form against his plush mattress. He tucked his warm comforter around his slender body, mindful to ensure he was completely encapsulated in its warmth. Dave smiled, tucking a strand of curls behind Klaus's ear.

Klaus was here, he was home. He was _safe_.

—-

**Authors Note**: _Thanks to anyone still following along with this story! And thanks for the lovely comment I got last chapter! You're a trooper m'friend! I took a LOT of creative liberties with Klaus's powers in this story! Just remember; with Ben being alive Klaus never had a friendly spirit to help guide him and shape his abilities. He's learning about them all the hard way, unfortunately. Thankfully he has Dave to help protect him and keep him safe!_

_If you enjoyed this (incredibly long, sorry lol!) chapter, PLEASE let me know in the comments! I crave validation and just wanna know how this made you feel! Thank you again!_


	9. Is This Real Life, Or Is It Fantasy?

Everything was one giant blur; dark and devoid of anything and everything. Klaus's entire state of being was muddled and bewildering. It was a strange sensation, a feeling of complete weightlessness, like slowly drifting through space untouched before it would transpose into an immense feeling of substantial weight - heavy, burdensome and confining. He couldn't differentiate between what was real and what was reverie; a dream. Perception was everything, but Klaus was found to be lost to the world around himself and severely lacking any abundance of cognizance.

Klaus vaguely remembered the sensation of a soft caress against his cheek, or the calming effect of what he surmised to be fingers stroking through his curling tendrils of hair. Klaus could have sworn at one point he felt his body's position shift by no accord of his own, before his lips were suddenly parted and fluid was seeping past his tongue. He thought he heard a voice; distant and muted - the dialect nearly unrecognizable in his state of disorientation, however he clearly remembered the phrase '_you're okay, you're safe_' before his body rejected the unexpected liquid, causing him to sputter and his awareness to wither and fade away once more.

He felt confused, trapped inside of himself with seemingly no way to escape. He had no recollection of where he was, how long he had been there, or how he could return to his wonted state of mindfulness. Eventually, after what felt like years to Klaus; the veil of perplexity began to draw away, allowing him to come back to himself, return to the world of the living, the realm of the aware.

Klaus's fingers twitched as they slowly sprung back to life; he coiled his fists, clenching them into the soft fabric of the blanket that was draped across his lap. He could feel its familiarity and comfort against his fingertips, he knew _what_ it was, which sent signals to his brain allowing him to recognize _where_ he was, and knew that he was _safe_. He took in a deep breath and held it within his chest, relishing the sensation of appreciation, before sighing as he exhaled the contents of his lungs.

Klaus's mind was still clouded by an impenetrable fog, weary as his thought process seemed to be sluggish; slow moving after such a long span of inactivity. Everything was grainy, and unclear to him. Like his brain was an underexposed photo, after being subjected to a loss of an adequate amount of light and time, he felt lost - adrift against a current of uncertainty and confusion that left him feeling astray. Klaus swallowed that peculiar feeling back as he attempted to break through the crust encapsulated around his eyes to pry them open. They felt heavy, still laden with fatigue after a long bout of sleep, and yet as his eyes opened and were met by a display of light so vivid he had to squint them closed in an attempt to stifle the blinding sensation assaulting his irises, Klaus found himself to be _smiling_.

He was alone.

_They_ weren't there; _they_ were gone. While he was floating aimlessly within the abyss of his psyche he was alone then, too. He may have still been physically spent, and reeling within an unclear mind, but emotionally Klaus felt so much lighter—he felt free.

That had been the first time since Klaus's journey through his newfound sobriety that he hadn't been plagued by ghosts, or nightmares. Shit, he hadn't dreamt at all, and yet he felt such an overwhelming sensation of bliss.

That bliss quickly faded, however when he replayed his previous statement within his flummoxed thoughts. He was alone - _completely_ alone. He soon realized he was encompassed by an uncomfortable silence; no soft murmurs, or precious would-be giggles from his daughter. Riley wasn't sleeping within her crib, and Dave wasn't there. The entire house was left eerily still.

Klaus tightened his grip against his mattress and used it to leverage himself into a seated position on the bed; it took him some time, his body listless, still heavy with fatigue. The room spun around him once he finally straightened. He sat there, taking in deep breaths while he closed his eyes to let the dizzy feeling subside. He couldn't be alone, Riley and Dave must be there somewhere, surely they wouldn't leave him.

The room eventually stopped spinning, allowing Klaus the opportunity to hoist himself onto his feet. He stumbled forward with languid movement's, his limbs uncoordinated and stiff as he nearly drunkenly staggered out of his bedroom. Why did he feel this way? He entered into the hallway, his palm pressed against the cool texture of the wall to support himself as he continued to teeter down the corridor.

"Riley, Da—" Klaus's words fell short on his tongue as they caught behind his teeth, he lurched forward, a cough assaulting his lungs; his throat left dry and raw from misuse. He clutched at his head as a dizzying sensation overwhelmed him following his fit. Klaus groaned, leaning his slight weight heavily against the orange peel textured surface of the walls. He took a moment to calm himself and catch his breath. He was winded, still unbelievably tired for some god forsaken reason. Why couldn't he just feel like himself? After he felt well enough to continue his search, he resumed his pursuit towards the spare room, feeling his way down the wall as he went. He was still so unsteady, his mind still unclear. Klaus opened the door and peered inside: empty - there was no sign of Riley nor Dave in sight.

He backpedaled, turning his focus to the bathroom, only to find the same thing - nothing, no one to be found. Frantically, Klaus spun to approach the living room, he gasped as he clutched at his stomach, it was growing queasy with fear and uncertainty; where was his daughter, where was Dave? He stumbled through the threshold into the living room, his heart plummeting from his chest. The room was vacant; the entire house was empty, they were gone. Riley, and Dave, they were both gone. A pained whimper burst passed Klaus's chapped lips as an agonized cry escaped his chest.

They'd left him; after that terrifying experience with the ghosts, Dave had finally wised up and taken his daughter away from him. Klaus cupped his GOODBYE hand over his lips as another sob tore through his chest. He couldn't believe it, Dave promised he would stay, he promised he would never leave him, but he was gone; Riley was gone. He'd taken her and they'd both left him alone. Dave had broken his promise - he swore that he never broke his promises.

Klaus's weakened body wavered as he sunk against the living room wall, his back collapsing against the rough texture as he continued to cry. The most heartbreaking part about this entire situation to Klaus, however, was that he couldn't help but understand Dave's decision—Klaus was a monster, his abilities were disgusting, and a danger to his daughter, to Dave, and to himself. He couldn't blame Dave for his actions, he was doing what Klaus himself had never been able to do; protecting his daughter.

Klaus's breath caught in his throat as his heart fluttered with an overwhelming sensation of panic and loss—he was alone, he'd lost the only person that ever mattered to him his entire life, and he had no one to blame for it but himself. Klaus felt lightheaded, his knees felt weak as the room spun before him. He was nauseated and stricken with grief. Klaus felt his world crumbling from around him as darkness started to edge its way into his field of vision, reality starting to rapidly ebb away from his grasp once again—and then the door opened.

"Klaus," Dave's eyes widened as he entered the living room, "Oh my god, you're awake!"

A pained laugh escaped Klaus's dispirited chest; it was Dave, he returned, he had Riley. He hadn't broken his promise. He'd come back to him.

"Dave, I thought—" Klaus's sentence trailed as his eyes fluttered, his weary body pitching forward as he tried to ease off of the wall. Dave gasped, rushing forward to steady him before he could get the chance to stumble any further and fall.

"Klaus, easy. What are you doing out of bed, you should be resting," Dave set Riley's carrier on the wood-like tile floors to free his hands to allow himself to support Klaus's exhausted frame. He wrapped his arm around the small of Klaus's back just as his knees began to buckle from beneath him. "Woah, woah, woah. Easy, I've got you."

"M'fine, you're here, you came back," Klaus mumbled nearly incoherently through his unsteady breaths. Dave frowned, pulling Klaus's weary frame into his strong arms, earning a startled whimper from the other man.

"Shh shh, you're okay. You're still weak, Klaus. You need to take it easy," Dave soothed as he held him tightly against his broad chest, examining Klaus's features. It pained Dave to see he still appeared so exhausted. Klaus could only nod in agreement to Dave's statement. He couldn't understand why he felt so incredibly weak. "Come on, let's get you back to bed."

Dave carried Klaus back into the bedroom and gently poured his debilitated body onto the mattress. Klaus groaned, his tired eyes trailing to Dave's steady and deeply concerned gaze.

"How long was I sleeping?" Klaus swallowed, the action causing him to wince as his throat and mouth were both arid like a desert. He closed his eyes momentarily to try to focus before reopening them to once again peer to Dave, expectantly awaiting an answer.

"Klaus, you've been out for a while."

"Define a while," Klaus paused, rubbing at his left ear as he stifled a wince. It was still ringing after it burst, surely he couldn't have been out for too long. Everything felt so hazy to him, he still couldn't register everything that was happening, and found himself still struggling to think straight. Klaus shook his head in frustration. "What's wrong with me?"

Dave frowned before taking a seat on the bed beside Klaus's confused and fearful frame. He laid a caring hand against Klaus's forearm to soothe him, and attempted to calm him down.

"Hey, hey, you're okay. Nothing is wrong with you, Klaus," He assured, his voice was soft and full of compassion. Dave rubbed his palm up and down the grief stricken man's arm as he exhaled a sigh before continuing to fill him in on the events that occurred to him. "you've been asleep for nearly two days; about thirty-seven hours. You're exhausted, Klaus. Your body needed the rest."

"W-what?" Klaus coughed as the words irritated his dry throat. "That, but, no. What about Riley, why didn't you wake me up, I—" He coughed again, his anxiety creeping back into his chest. He couldn't have possibly been unconscious that long, why wouldn't Dave wake him up, his daughter needed him.

"Klaus, easy. Please, calm down," Dave leaned forward, running his fingers through Klaus's messy mop of curls in an attempt to placate his fear and emotions. "I did try to wake you. You slept through the night, in the morning I tried to wake you up, but you just wouldn't. I knew you were tired; exhausted, you've barely slept at all in so long, and then after all of that happened. I figured you needed the rest."

"But for that long? Dave—"

"I tried, Klaus. I tried talking to you, shaking you. It was like you were dead to the world. I was scared, I couldn't get you up. I didn't know what to do. I tried to get you to drink; which was a mistake, I think I almost drowned you. I was considering either calling Diego, or taking you to the hospital if you didn't wake up by tonight—but you finally did, you're up. Thank god, Klaus, I-I was so worried."

Klaus watched Dave with dreary eyes, he could see his fear and concern. He couldn't believe he'd been unconscious for such a long period of time, but Dave was right, he was awake now. Dave stayed with him; he stayed by his side and he took care of him, and cared for his daughter in his absence while he slept. Klaus's chest deflated as he let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, he relaxed against Dave's tender touch, his eyes fluttering in contentment.

"Thank you, for...for staying. For watching Riley. Just, thank you, Dave." Klaus's voice was eminently soft, his entire being still utterly depleted from any source of energy. Dave smiled as he continued to work his fingers through Klaus's unkempt curls. His eyebrows furrowed, his lips tugging into a delicate frown as he felt the heat on Klaus's skin, and noted his lack of enrichment. He ran his fingertips down Klaus's temple before cupping his cheek within his palm, stroking the skin with the pad of his thumb.

"I'll be right back." Klaus weakly nodded against Dave's touch as his tired green eyes met Dave's ocean blues once more. Dave smiled fondly, tracing the hollow of Klaus's cheek before withdrawing his hand. He stood, and swiftly left the room leaving Klaus alone with his own wayward thoughts.

Klaus's eyes felt unbearably heavy so he allowed them to drift back closed, he couldn't fathom how on earth he could still be so unbelievably exhausted after he'd been unconscious for so long. Surely he should feel more, dare he say, alive by now. He pulled in a long shallow breath, filling his lungs to their capacity and held it for a moment before slowly pushing the air through his parted lips. He could feel his heart fluttering within his chest, seemingly pumping in overdrive trying just to keep him alive. Klaus couldn't help but feel incredibly ashamed, not to mention downright angry at himself for feeling that way; so tired, so frail, so weak. He guessed it was fitting for him to feel like that, however, considering that was in fact what he was—weak.

Klaus hated himself; he hated that he couldn't control his own abilities which posed a colossal threat to his daughter, as well as to Dave. As far as Klaus was concerned, he deserved to feel that way. He was weak, always had been, and in his eyes, always would be. Perhaps it would have been better for everyone had the ghosts accomplished what they set out to do—claim his life and take him as their own. Klaus's eyes stung with unshed tears at the thought; he didn't want to die, he never wanted to consider the idea of abandoning his beautiful little girl, but he truly felt she would be better off without him. She had Dave now, he was enough - he was well beyond more than enough. Dave was perfect, but Klaus?

He was a monster.

Klaus used what little reserved energy he had left to peel his heavy eyelids apart, opening them into narrow slits. He felt as though he was still dreaming; the sun's bright orange rays were scintillating through the drawn shades in his bedroom, allowing tiny flickers of light to dance across his wall and over the blankets that covered his frail frame. Their radiant pirouettes spun before him, mimicking the fitful flares of candle light. He felt himself drawn to them like a moth to a flame, mesmerized by their varying twinkling hues. He hadn't realized his gaze trailed into a dazed state of mind, leaving him once again unaware of his surrounding reality. Klaus felt his energy continue to deplete; as his eyes slowly drifted closed.

"Someone wanted to see you,"

Suddenly there was a weight against his chest; warm, soft and delicate. Klaus pried his jaded eyes open as best as he could, straining to lift his weary head. His lips trembled before finally forming into a fond smile.

"Hey there, princess," Klaus's voice was wobbly and weak, yet proud and full of adoration. He clumsily lifted his arms with much difficulty and draped them over his daughter's small fragile frame. "daddy missed you, sweetie."

"She missed her daddy, too," Dave situated himself on the bed beside Klaus, his legs suspended over the edge. He smiled warmly as he smoothed Riley's curls against the top of her head. "Klaus, you haven't had anything to eat or drink in a long time. I think you should sit up and try to have something, it'll help you regain some of your strength."

Klaus's head teetered before it fell back against his pillow, his eyes threatening to close. He felt so weak, he didn't think he could muster enough strength to attempt it, but he knew that Dave was right, he had to at least try. Klaus nodded and wedged his elbow against his mattress to try and use it to leverage himself up, being mindful of his daughter's safety and security within his other arm, but his limbs shook with fatigue, ultimately failing him. He sighed in defeat, laying back against his bed; left breathless and panting from the brief yet failed endeavor.

"M'sorry, I-I can't," Klaus's eyes flickered as he shifted his tired gaze to Dave's concerned one. "I'm too weak. Dave, why am I so weak?" He pinched his eyebrows in frustration as he tried to regain his breath. Dave frowned, upset at the situation at hand. He hated every bit of this. He hated seeing Klaus in such a disadvantaged way.

"I think I may know why," Dave began, he leaned forward and adjusted Klaus's pillows against the headboard to create a cozy barrier for Klaus to lean on. He stood, going to Klaus's spent body and laced his arms behind his upper back and the crook beneath his knees. Dave, gentle as he could be, shifted Klaus's prone position upright, leaning his shoulders against the pillow fortress behind him. Klaus's head spun dizzily from the sudden shift in orientation before eventually leveling out. Dave gave him a few moments to adjust before he propped a pillow beneath his bent knees to help him acclimate to a more comfortable setting before reclaiming his own seat beside Klaus on the bed. He assisted in adjusting Riley in a better suited position against Klaus's chest, tucking the blanket up around Klaus's waist. Klaus smiled weakly at Dave in appreciation for all of his assistance and welcomed help. "I did some research, ghosts have to draw their energy from somewhere to manifest themselves. Klaus, you were their tether, they must have drawn all of their energy from you, which explains why you're so exhausted. If you think about it, it makes sense. With how long it went on, and how many there were - I'm surprised you're awake at all yet." Dave tucked a strand of disorderly curls behind Klaus's ear; the gesture sent a tingle down Klaus's spine.

"You did research on this?" Klaus's eyebrows raised in surprise; Dave wanted to expand his knowledge on his abilities, learn more about him?

"Well, yeah," Dave smiled, nervously rubbing the nape of his own neck. "I want to help you. I did an online search; found out a bunch of stuff, actually. Like, did you know burning sage can help cast bad spirits away, and hanging rosaries in archways can help ward them off, too? That's why I was gone earlier, I ran out to pick a few things up, I want to make sure I can protect you, Klaus. I promised I'd keep you safe, and that's exactly what I intend to do."

Klaus's lips tugged into a subtle smile as his emerald orbs met Dave's glimmering blues. Dave was so thoughtful, so caring, so unfathomably fucking perfect, Klaus was still baffled by his unwavering outright kindness. He opened his mouth to thank him, but his words got lost as a deep guttural cough burst through his chest. He wrenched his eyes closed while attempting to calm himself, but he struggled against the fitful fury of his lungs. The color seemed to fade from Klaus's face, earning Dave's features to twist with concern.

"Here," Dave shimmied himself closer to Klaus and grabbed the bottle of water from the nightstand. He opened it before gently cupping Klaus's chin and assisting in guiding his head back. "Drink some of this, you need to re-hydrate." Klaus's lips parted and Dave pressed the bottle to his lips allowing Klaus to take a few solid sips. The water began to dribble out of the corners of his mouth when Klaus struggled to swallow. He sputtered, unable to drink any more.

Dave frowned and pulled the bottle away from Klaus. He cupped his cheeks within both of his hands and scrutinized his clearly defined features. Klaus's color was off; he looked oddly pale aside from the bold scarlet flush of his cheeks, and his skin radiated a steady warm heat. His emerald eyes looked dull and unfocused as his plush dark lashes fluttered irregularly.

He did not look well.

"Are you feeling okay?"

Klaus disregarded Dave's question; his eyes struggling to focus as he squinted to look at Dave. He softly giggled as a smile graced his lips. Dave's eyebrows pinched together in confusion as he examined Klaus's peculiar behavior.

"What?"

"It's just, it's cute is all," Klaus's smile quickly shifted to a disconcerted frown. He veered his sights away from Dave, his irises staring blankly at the wall before once again drifting closed. Dave immediately realized his altered state of mind, and worried if he was alright.

"Klaus," He laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder, soft and delicate to let him know he was there for him for whatever was plaguing him. "what's wrong?"

"Please," Klaus flinched away from Dave's tender touch. He sighed, gently stroking his fingers over his daughter's slumbering back, his eyes settling into tired slits. "don't touch me."

Dave's eyes instantly widened with worry. What was going on with him, why was Klaus behaving this way?

"I'm sorry, what's wrong?" Dave's posture went rigid, his eyes darting around the room as his pitch fluctuated an octave higher in panic. "Are they back?"

Klaus's lips tugged into a sad smile; why did Dave have to always do this? Always make him feel wanted, worth protecting, worth saving? Didn't he realize he was a lost cause, a waste of time?

"No, Dave," Klaus exhaled a sigh, closing his eyes to hide his unshed tears. "Please, just stop. I don't deserve your pity."

"Pity?" Dave's head tilted in confusion much like a puppy's would, he hadn't the faintest idea what Klaus meant. Pity for what? "Klaus, what do you mean, what are you even talking about?"

Klaus's lips quivered as his unsteady mind started doing somersaults; leaping, flipping and turning while his gears kickstarted before grinding to a grating halt. He felt so conflicted. He couldn't help but feel something towards Dave, this man was genuinely a good person; a kind soul with a loving heart, who truly treated Klaus with an unending amount of respect. Yet, Klaus hadn't the decency to reciprocate such actions. His mind may still be utterly clouded with the condensed fog of fatigue, and perhaps he was still a little delirious, but he clearly remembered kissing Dave.

Dave had saved him - literally been his own personal knight in shining armor, rescuing him, as well as his daughter; the fairest damsel in distress, from their tormentors, and how had he repaid him? By forcing himself upon him without his permission, and taking advantage of him. Klaus always knew he was only good for using; using drugs, using people. He never claimed to be a good person, and his behavior reflected that. Klaus stood by his previous claims; he was a monster, always had been, and always would be. He didn't deserve Dave's compassion.

Klaus sniffled, a soft heartbreaking whimper leaving his chest while he pressed the heel of his palm against his eye as tears began to seep down his sunken cheeks. He hadn't even realized he'd started to cry. Dave's expression softened as he edged himself so that his own body was neighboring Klaus's, once again laying a supportive hand against his shoulder. He didn't understand what was happening, but he knew he had to try to calm him down, he had to try and help him.

"Hey, what's wrong," His voice was soft and endearing, cooing to Klaus as though he were a delicate flower whose petals had begun to wilt. "Are you alright?"

A pained satirical laugh eluded Klaus's lips while he bobbed his head in an undue nod, his eyes fixating upon his daughter's still thankfully slumbering figure, as his unsteady hands clung onto her. Klaus hugged his precious baby girl tighter as he kneaded soft circles into her onesie against her satiny skin. Dave's eyes softened with kind regard while he eased himself closer to Klaus's figure on the bed. He frowned, noticing how Klaus's complexion seemed to have continued to worsen; his cheeks were a bruising shade of red, while his other features remained a waxen sallow shade of creamy white. Sweat glistened against his peaky brow, allowing his dampened curls to cling to his face.

"Hey, seriously, are you feeling okay? Your cheeks are really flushed," Dave angled himself adjacent to Klaus and rested his palm against his reddened cheek. He frowned at the radiating heat. "Klaus you're pretty warm—"

"Dave, stop. I'm fine, really, I—" Klaus emanated a long, deep audible sigh clearly trapped within his own pessimistic thoughts. "I'm just...tired and confused."

"Oh," Dave straightened his posture, allowing his hand to slip from Klaus's fever-flushed cheek. "Why? Klaus, please, talk to me. What's wrong, what are you confused about?"

As much as he tried to hide his emotions; keep them at bay and not allow his true feelings to come to light, Klaus's pain shone brilliantly in the form of a silent gut wrenching sob. Klaus's dark eyelashes were weighted down; brimmed heavily with tears, ones that he no longer possessed the energy to try and hide.

"I-I just, I'm so sorry, Dave. So sorry. That was so wrong of me, but, you were just so welcoming, and warm, which isn't an excuse, I know it isn't, but I just—"

"Woah, shh, calm down. What are you rambling on about, Klaus, you don't—"

"I forced myself onto you, Dave! I kissed you, and I shouldn't have, it was wrong of me. So incredibly wrong, and I have no way to justify my actions. I'm so sorry, okay," He heaved to catch his breath as his shoulders slumped deeper against his pillows, his breakdown stealing what little energy he had left in his reserves. "I'm so, so sorry, I understand if you want to leave and never speak to me again. I deserve it. I deserve everything awful that comes my way, I'm not worthy of your kindness." Klaus's lashes fluttered, dispersing his collection of tears and allowing them to drip down his stubbled wobbly chin. He was expecting the worst, now. Certainly Dave would heed his words and leave him behind like all the others, Klaus was accustomed to the heartache, he knew it was only a matter of time before Dave would leave and forget about him, too. He deserved this, he knew he did, but the foreseeable let down never lessened the hurt.

"Klaus, please, don't," Dave reached forward, taking hold of Klaus's trembling hand within his own steady grip and gave his fingers a reassuring, and grounding squeeze. He couldn't let Klaus lose himself to his own muddled thoughts, his own self hating mind. "Don't apologize, Klaus. You have absolutely nothing to apologize for—"

"Yes I do, Dave! Stop acting as though nothing is wrong, when everything is—"

"No, Klaus it is not," Dave's eyes beckoned Klaus's unwavering attention. Klaus's heart spasmed intensely when he caught sight of their appearance. He knew what Dave's eyes looked like, he'd found himself staring aimlessly, getting lost within his beautiful blue orbs time and time again; they were deep blue, much like the ocean. Dave had tears in his eyes now, which Klaus had never seen before, giving his irises the appearance of the ocean trapped within marbles. The glass spheres appeared to be cracked, allowing droplets of tears to seep from their fissures. Klaus had never seen a sight more stunningly tragic in his life, and yet, he knew that he was at fault for Dave's sadness. "you were exhausted after all of that happened, so you may not have noticed, but I didn't exactly pull away, Klaus. Don't apologize, please. I liked it, really. I wanted it, too."

Dave's smile deepened, showcasing his perfect dimples that were filled with tears, like little cratered lakes on his features. Klaus's heart clenched at his words; Dave wasn't mad at him? He wasn't upset about his forward and vulgar actions? Undoubtedly he must have misheard him, or his mind must still not be right, because if he hadn't known any better, Klaus could have sworn that he said he liked it, and wanted it, too?

"Wait, really?" Klaus's weary features pinched into one of many doubts as he leaned himself deeper into his pillows. He pressed the back of his unsteady hand against his overheated brow. "Maybe I am sick."

"You are rather warm," Dave's lips hung in a lopsided smirk while he chuckled softly. "and you are definitely overly tired, but you're okay, Klaus. We are okay. I mean it though, I like you. I really like you, a lot. And I like Riley a lot, too."

Dave's cheeks tugged into a warm adoring smile as he rested a hand over Riley's tiny back. Klaus's chest felt warm as his heart began to flutter; was this what butterflies felt like? His own lips tugged into a giddy grin.

"I like you a lot too Dave, we both do. Isn't that right, princess?" Klaus's laughter was soft and shaky, his entire body riddled my chills as he started to quake, he couldn't tell if it was his body's release of emotions or if it was because he was tired, maybe he was sick; he felt chilled to his core. Dave leaned forward, running his fingers through Klaus's curls before cupping his warm face within his palm. He stroked the soft skin of Klaus's cheek with the pad of his thumb, keeping his other hand pressed against Riley's back. Their eyes met within nirvana as the two men just absorbed the other's presence, eyes interwoven in an affectionate trance. Dave noticed as Klaus's body trembled, he knew he needed to try to get him to lay down. He needed to relax.

"I think it's time you laid back down, you definitely earned a good rest." Klaus nodded, and Dave eased his worn body back down against the mattress, fluffing his pillows beneath his weary head. His eyes fluttered closed minutely before he forced them open; not quite ready to look away from this god-like creature beside him just yet.

Dave's own heart fluttered as he admired the stunning man before him, and felt the delicate angelic baby beneath his own hand; an overwhelming sensation flooded his heart: he was happy, and knew deep down how incredibly blessed he truly was. He had everything he ever wanted right here with these two beautifully perfect souls - right here with his family, and Dave knew in his heart that he was home.

Dave tilted forward and pressed his lips against Klaus's clammy temple and found himself to linger there. This was it, he was finally in the moment he'd wanted for so long, kissing the man of his dreams. He smiled into the kiss before pulling away, his blue orbs peering longingly into Klaus's tired, yet eager eyes, and both men exchanged a loving smile. Dave cupped Klaus's cheeks within both of his hands and held him there, simply looking at him and allowing himself to fully absorb his beauty. He couldn't believe this man was finally his. Klaus's lips wobbled as his emotions pooled within his heart, he couldn't fathom how he'd gotten so lucky. He laid his palms over Dave's upon his cheeks, wanting to feel the man's warmth, he still couldn't believe this was happening.

Dave pressed forward, snagging Klaus's pout within his own, their lips melding together as one. This kiss was the final factor expressing their intimate feelings for each other, signifying what they both wanted since they first met in that grocery store; they were together now, and forever would be. Hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, side by side.

The kiss was tender, sweet, and all either man had ever wanted: sheer perfection that left both men giddy with eternal bliss. Klaus's body wavered, his energy fading quickly as he began to slump within Dave's arms. Dave pulled away, leaving both men smiling as they heaved to catch their breath. Dave could see Klaus's exhaustion clearly, he knew he needed to rest.

Dave curled up on the bed beside Klaus, wedging himself as close to his exhausted frame as he could. He enveloped the blanket around his shivering figure, cuddling closer to impart his own warmth. His arm snaked beneath Klaus's pillow, propping him into a more suitable position, allowing him to provide added comfort while snuggling impossibly closer to Klaus's precious form. Klaus's tired eyes met Dave's, and he swore at that moment his eyes were smiling just for him.

Klaus rested his fatigued head against Dave's broad chest, nuzzling into the nook of his neck. Klaus marveled at how Dave's skin felt so warm and inviting, instantly chasing his chills away. He felt safe knowing Dave, his knight in shining armor, his protector and savior was beside him, keeping him warm. Klaus felt his eyes drift closed, his energy vanishing at an alarming rate, but his smile never wavered from his face. Dave pressed his lips against Klaus's curls, breathing in his scent, relishing his presence and absorbing his affection. He smiled, resting his free hand over Riley's back as he allowed his own eyes to drift closed.

With the warmth of the baby beneath his fingertips, and the comfort of the man of his dreams slumbering safely within his arms against his side, Dave realized this was everything he could have ever dreamed of.

He felt happy, he felt at peace. Dave smiled because he was amongst the two people he cared about most in his life.

They fell asleep surrounded by _love_.

—-

**Authors Note:** _Thank you to my consistent commenter! You're so sweet haha I'm so happy you're enjoying this! There's some angsty bits this chapter and next, but I promise FLUFF is on the horizon! Thank you everyone who is following along with this story! As always, if ya like what ya see, let me know in the comments!_

_Thanks again! I hope you enjoyed! :)_


	10. Recovery

The sensation of the blankets being tugged off of his body was what ultimately pulled Dave from his rather comfortable slumber. He was left chilled by the absence of the cover, and mildly confused as to where they'd disappeared off to in his sleep-addled mind. It wasn't until he felt the vibrations on the mattress beside himself that his awareness finally snapped back into focus, allowing Dave to better assess his surroundings. It was then that he realized that the juddering against the mattress was coming from Klaus. He still had Riley propped atop his trembling chest; although, Dave was shocked that she was able to sleep through the violent tremors her father was emitting. Klaus was clutching the blankets; tangling his hands and feet within the thick fabric trying desperately to seek any ounce of warmth that he could, but his teeth and body were chattering and shivering tremendously.

"Klaus?" Dave propped himself onto his elbow as he reached to shake Klaus's quivering body to wake him, "Klaus, wake up. Are you—"

As soon as Dave's palm rested against his boyfriend's trembling shoulder an overwhelming sensation of shock filled his body at what he found.

Heat...

Klaus's body was radiating an inconceivable amount of heat, burning him up from the inside out with a ravaging fever, the rate of the temperature was alarming.

"Klaus, wake up. Can you open your eyes for me? Come on, Klaus, please?" Dave shook his shoulders until Klaus's tired eyes finally peeled into narrow slivers.

"Hm?" Klaus hummed in confusion, "w-what?"

Dave's eyebrows furrowed at the glossy unfocused look in his boyfriends eyes. He laid his palm against Klaus's drenched forehead and immediately grimaced.

"You're burning up, Klaus. Holy shit," Dave bolted upright in the bed, collecting Klaus's slumbering princess into his arms before standing and laying her down within her crib. He sprinted to the bathroom; grabbing the thermometer from the medicine cabinet before returning to the room. Klaus had shrugged the blankets tighter around himself; his form trembling, and his teeth loudly chattering as his body continued to quake. Dave frowned at the pitiful sight of him, his saddened expression only intensified at the distressing groans he was producing. Dave sat beside Klaus, feeling his forehead again, earning a rather pathetic sound from the clearly sickly man.

"It's okay, Klaus. You're okay. Open your mouth for me, yeah? I need to check your temperature. Can you do that for me?"

Klaus squeezed his tired eyes shut, another groan leaving his chest as his body shook and shuddered even more. It took a long moment, but eventually he parted his lips, allowing Dave to stick the thermometer between his teeth and tuck it under his tongue. Dave ran his fingers through Klaus's curls to soothe him until the small device finally beeped.

"104.6, Klaus, that's extremely high. What's wrong? I knew you were getting sick, are you okay?"

"B-but I'm not sick, Dave. M'just s-so c-c-cold," he groaned through chattering teeth, curling himself up tighter within the blanket, "why is it s-so cold in here?"

"Klaus, you're burning up with a fever. It's not cold, you're sick. This is your body's way of trying to fight off an infection," Dave cupped Klaus's sweat laden cheek within his palm, tilting his head from side to side to further examine his features, he frowned at the intensity from the heat against his skin. "You're so hot, Klaus."

"_Wow_, Dave. You know how to m-make a man's heart f-f-flutter." Klaus smiled weakly at Dave before curling in on himself with a pathetic whimper. "P-please, lay back down with me. I'm s-so c-cold and you're so w-w-warm."

"I'll be right back, Klaus. I'm going to get you some water and some Tylenol cold—"

"No! No drugs, I can't - I c-can't do any d-drugs."

"Klaus," Dave's eyebrows furrowed with concern at his request. "It's just Tylenol. You _need_ it, we need to get your fever down." Klaus rolled his head side to side in protest.

"N-no, Dave. Tylenol is not good for recovering a-a-addicts. I can't have any. I c-can't, I won't. _Please_." Dave had nearly forgotten about Klaus's past addiction history, he didn't even think of the effects having Tylenol could have on his body, let alone on his cravings. He sent an apologetic glance to Klaus, laying a hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

"I'm so sorry, Klaus. You're right. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to try to force that on you. Your fever is bad though. You're burning up, we need to get this down," Dave watched as Klaus seemed to curl up further into himself, shrinking his body to appear almost as small as a sickly child. He looked so pitiful, it broke Dave's heart. Couldn't he just catch a break? "I'll be right back, okay?"

Klaus whimpered in response as Dave once again left the room. Klaus didn't know how to explain how he currently felt. Dave kept saying he was sick, but all he knew was cold. He was just so cold, and tired. He did feel rather stiff...could he be sick? He moaned as another harsh shiver rattled his stiff body leaving him feeling rather sore. Maybe Dave was right, maybe he was sick?

Dave returned not long after his departure bearing a glass of water for Klaus to drink, a bowl and a rag. Klaus's eyelids barely peeled into slits at the sound of his return. He hadn't even realized his eyes had been closed. How long had Dave been gone?

"Here, let's sit you up," Dave aided Klaus in straightening his posture off of the mattress. Klaus groaned in discomfort as the new position caused his aching muscles to spasm even more. He hated that he felt this way, and didn't understand what would cause this to happen. Was this another side effect from his abilities? Honestly, Klaus would almost swear that his current condition reminded him of withdrawal symptoms. Was this his body's own way or weaning itself off of the ghosts? Dave slid onto the mattress behind Klaus, his legs flanking either side of Klaus's trembling frame as he eased his boyfriend's body against his own broad chest. Klaus's lips tugged into a subtle smile - he could get used to this. "easy, there you go. I need you to drink some water, okay?"

Klaus could only hum in response before Dave brought the glass of water to his parched lips and aided him in taking a few slow and steady sips.

"Good Klaus, easy. You're doing great," Dave kept his fingers gently laced between Klaus's curling locks of hair as he drank, steadying his head. He cooed to him as he took each sip, joy flooding his heart when he nearly finished the entire glass before finally pulling away to catch his breath. "That was great, Klaus. Your body needed that. I think that may be part of the reason you are so sick right now. You're probably famished, you haven't had any real nutrients in days. You need to eat and drink."

"M'not h-hungry. Just c-cold." Klaus's eyes snapped shut as his body continued to shiver from his chills. Dave set the glass down on the nightstand before reaching to feel Klaus's forehead again, sucking his teeth in pity when he found it to be almost warmer.

"You're not going to like what I'm about to do, but it's necessary okay, Klaus?" Klaus didn't even bother to open his eyes at Dave's statement, he simply nodded accepting whatever Dave set out to do. "We need to get your shirt off, okay?"

"Trying to undress me Davey? M-my, you dirty d-dog." Dave snickered, pressing his lips to Klaus's trembling shoulder in response. Klaus's lips tugged into an unsteady smile at the sensation of Dave's kiss against his skin, he relished in the tender touch. Both men were just so unbelievably happy that they were finally able to show each other such affection.

"Klaus, you're soaking wet," Dave frowned as he noted the sopping material clinging to Klaus's body. "Hold up your arms, I've gotta get you out of this shirt." Klaus groaned as he lifted his absurdly heavy arms above his head allowing Dave to remove his shirt, tossing the drenched fabric onto the floor with a heavy plop. Klaus's body only seemed to shiver more now that his perspiration riddled skin was exposed to the air around him. Dave eased his body back against his chest before grabbing the rag off of the nightstand and dipping it into the bowl he'd brought in - it was full of cool water. He wrung out the extra water and gently ran the damp fabric over Klaus's sweltering skin, earning a shocked gasp from Klaus.

"D-Dave that's f-f-freezing. P-please, s-stop."

"I'm sorry, I know you're cold, but your fever is way too high, Klaus. We need to bring it down." Dave continued to run the cloth over Klaus's fever flushed skin in an attempt to whisk the sweat away. He whined in protest, sad, pitiful sounding groans as his shudders seemed to only intensity.

"Please - p-please s-s-stop." Klaus begged, twisting his fingers into the blanket at his waist. Dave ran his fingers through his hair to soothe the sickly man, trying desperately to put him at ease. "M'so c-c-cold. Please-"

"I know, I'm so sorry. I promise it's just until I can get your fever down a little, okay? I promise. Here," Dave dunked the rag into the bowl to rinse the sweat before wringing the fabric in his grip to drain the excess fluid. He quickly folded it and laid it atop Klaus's forehead, keeping his hand over the cloth to hold it in place. Dave kissed the top of Klaus's curls, reaching his free hand for Klaus's and intertwined his fingers within his own. "Just, hold my hand, you're going to be okay. I'm only trying to help," Klaus's body relaxed against Dave's chest at his words, his grip tightening against his boyfriend's while his eyes began to droop from exhaustion. Dave pressed his lips against the crown of Klaus's head, smiling against his unruly locks happy to see him beginning to finally relax. "Good, Klaus. Not much longer, okay?"

"I'm so tired..." Klaus whispered as his eyelashes fluttered and he struggled to fight off the fatigue that plagued him, however it simply wasn't a battle he was prepared to win.

"I know. Let's get you back to bed, okay? You need rest to fight this thing off." Klaus's energy was already nearly depleted as Dave slowly eased his exhausted frame back down flat against the mattress. His grip tightened against Dave's fingers, his eyes opening into weary slits as he looked his boyfriend in the eyes.

"Please, lay with me? I-I don't w-want to be alone." Dave's lips tugged into a crooked smile at Klaus's request; how could he deny him that?

"Of course, darlin. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere, I promise." Dave laid down on the mattress beside Klaus, adjusting the cool rag against his feverish forehead as Klaus entangled his limbs around Dave's furnace-like body. He smiled, nuzzling impossibly closer against his warmth.

"You called me darlin," Klaus giggled, tilting his chin to better address Dave, effectively dislodging the rag from his forehead, "I like that. _Darlin_—it's cute. You're cute, we're cute. Don't you th-think we're cute, Davey?"

"I think we are adorable," Dave smiled down at his sleepy boyfriend who was clearly suffering from the fever funnies, "especially you, my little sickling." Dave kissed Klaus's forehead, raking his fingers through his hair. Klaus rested his head on Dave's broad shoulder, his eyes fluttering before resting into weary slits.

"Mm, this is nice," Klaus's body relaxed, his trembling slowly fading. He exhaled a sigh, closing his eyes while he pressed his cheek to Dave's shoulder and stroked his palm in a circular pattern against Dave's chest with a smile. "You're so warm." Dave hugged him closer against himself.

"So are you, darlin." Klaus hummed in response.

"You need a nickname now, too. Something cute, with pizzazz." Dave smiled, his eyebrows raising in curiosity.

"Oh? Do I now? Well, what nickname do you suggest?" Klaus pursed his lips and stared into Dave's ocean blue eyes as he thought, pushing air out of his lips in a sputtering raspberry. Dave shook his head and smirked at his loopy concentration face. Klaus gasped, his eyes opening in realization before he furrowed his brows shaking his head.

"No, no, that won't do." Dave kissed his forehead as Klaus burrowed his cold toes between Dave's warm legs, "Oh! I know, I got it!" He smirked.

"Well? What is it, then? Gonna keep this news all to yourself?"

"Sasquatch." Klaus finally suggested with a snort and a giggle, rather amused with his brilliant idea.

"_Sasquatch_?" Dave asked incredulously, "where on earth did you get that?" Klaus sighed, his lips pursing into a pout.

"Aw, you don't like it?"

"I mean," Dave's voice raised an Octave, his lips stretching into a wide grin, "I think we could come up with something a little more affectionate, no?"

"Wait, wait, hear me out, okay?" Klaus stroked his fingers up and down Dave's chest as he spoke, "because you're tall - taller than me. You're strong, and you have big feet!"

"Klaus—"

"And you know what they say about big feet—"

"Shh," Dave breathed a laugh at Klaus's tired loopy ramblings, pulling his anxiously fidgeting fingers between his own, "you really need to get some rest. Go to sleep, okay?" Dave whispered, tucking the blankets around Klaus's form. Klaus smiled, rooting his nose against Dave's chest before finally settling comfortably within his boyfriend's loving arms.

"Okay, we will come up with a different name." Klaus agreed tiredly through a yawn before his eyes fluttered and closed.

"Sounds like a plan. Night darlin."

"Night not Sasquatch." Dave smiled, laying the cool cloth back on his forehead, watching as Klaus eventually peacefully drifted to sleep.

Dave's smile morphed into a frown as he watched his boyfriend sleep. Klaus just looked so terrible. He was pale aside from the bright splotches of red that muddled his porcelain cheeks. He ran his fingers through Klaus's hair for a long while, just watching the rise and fall of his chest and reeling at the comforting sensation of his soft flutters of breath against his bare skin. He wished their snuggle fest was under different circumstances; Dave only wished Klaus wasn't so sick. He rested his cheek atop Klaus's curls, hugging his slumbering form tighter against himself while he just breathed in his scent. Brushing his fingertips down his cheek, Dave smiled when he found that the heat of his flesh seemed to be heading in the right direction and fading away. Thank god. Klaus cuddled closer, his fingers curling into the fabric of the blanket perched atop Dave's stomach and hummed happily in his sleep. Dave smiled, allowing his own eyes to drift closed as he too welcomed the warm blanket of a cozy night's rest.

Unfortunately, that cozy night's rest didn't last nearly as long as either man had hoped. Soft raspy cries penetrated the calming still of the air within the bedroom, slowly pulling both tired men from their slumber.

"M'comin, Riley..daddy's coming," Klaus weakly mumbled against Dave's neck. He swallowed, tiredly retracting his arms from Dave as he made a feeble attempt to right himself and sit up. "Coming baby, daddy's right here. I'm coming, I—"

"No, you're not," Dave sat up in the bed and gently laid his palm over Klaus's forehead. "You're still running a fever, Klaus. You're sick, lay back down and rest. I've got her."

"But, Dave..I can do it, I'm fine—"

"Sorry, no but's darlin. You're burning up with a fever. We don't even know what you have, but it's better if you just rest and let your body combat whatever it is. Besides," He eased Klaus's unsteady figure back down against the mattress, running his fingers through his curls after he tucked his trembling frame in. "You don't want to risk potentially spreading whatever this is to Riley, do you?"

"N-no, never!"

"Then sleep, Klaus. You need the rest," Dave bent down and kissed Klaus's forehead, earning the sickly man to close his eyes and hum against the pleasant sensation. "Sleep. We will be fine."

Klaus was already softly snoring by the time Dave reached Riley's crib.

"Hey there sweet pea, you hungry?" He scooped her into his arms, hugging her tiny squirming figure against his chest. "Aww, yeah you're hungry. Come on, shh shh you're okay, let's get you something to eat and let your daddy rest, okay?"

Dave left Klaus to continue sleeping while he tended to Riley's fussing. He cooed to her as they entered the living room before making their way into the kitchen. Dave wasted no time in preparing a bottle for her, checking to ensure the temperature was just right before pressing the nipple to her eager lips.

"There you go, sweetie. Were you hungry? Yeah, you were," he carried her over to the couch where he sat down, cradling her within his arm against his chest as he watched her eat with a smile on his face. He'd giggle when she would make little sucking sounds, clearly enjoying her meal. "You're a cute little piggie, aren't you? Certainly the cutest one I ever did see."

Riley finished eating and Dave swaddled her up, laying her over his shoulder while he patted and rubbed her back to burp her. He stood, pacing the floors until he succeeded.

"Nice one, squirt," he wiped the dribble from her chin, smiling as he admired her flattening her unruly curls atop her head. She yawned, her nose crinkling as her lashes fluttered while she slowly started to drift back to sleep. "Aw, your daddy's nose crinkles like that. Like daddy like daughter, two precious peas in a pod." Dave bundled her into his arms, softly singing her lullaby to her; the same one her daddy always sang to her allowing her to peacefully lull to sleep. Dave quietly carried Riley back into the bedroom, careful not to wake her or her daddy from their slumber. The door softly creaked as it opened, but it turned out he didn't have to be silent anyways. Klaus was already sitting up in the bed, blankets wrapped tightly around his shivering form, his face looking tired and pale.

"Why are you up?" Dave whispered, gently laying Riley down in her crib. "You should be sleeping, you need to—"

"I can't sleep," Klaus hugged his midsection with one arm, clumsily rubbing his temples with the other. "I have a headache."

Dave frowned, sitting beside Klaus on the bed. He laid his palm against his forehead to find that his temperature was still warm, but didn't seem quite as alarming as earlier.

"You still have a fever," he ran his fingers through Klaus's curls before raking his fingernails down his back, earning goosebumps to prickle from Klaus's skin. "I think you should eat something, Klaus. That may be why you have a headache. It's been a couple of days since you've had anything."

"M'not hungry," Klaus doubled over himself, resting his elbows on his lap and burying his face within his palms, exhaling a groan. "Just...tired. Fuck, I'm so tired of being tired."

"You need to eat, Klaus." Dave frowned, lacing his fingers into the hair at the nape of Klaus's sweat dampened neck. "You're tired because you're weak. Your body and mind have been through an immense amount of trauma recently and you've had absolutely no nourishment. Your body needs fuel to recover."

Klaus sat up straight, his fingers splayed against his thighs as he peered tiredly to Dave.

"You're right," he nodded in agreement before letting out an exasperated sigh. "You're right, okay. I'll eat. I'm just...I'm not hungry, can it be light? Like, I don't know—"

"Soup?" Dave suggested, smiling as he caught Klaus's gaze. "I was going to recommend some chicken broth. It'll warm you up a bit more," he stated, watching as Klaus's body started to lightly tremble again now that he wasn't interwoven within Dave's embrace. "And it'll get you some much needed nutrients."

"I could go for some soup." Dave smiled at Klaus, leaning towards the sickly man and kissing his temple.

"Lay down, I'll be right back with that broth. Just, try to relax, okay?" Klaus nodded in agreement. He shimmied his weary frame back onto the mattress and situated himself so he was curled up on his side. Dave pushed a stray strand of hair behind Klaus's ear and tucked the blanket over his shoulders earning a thankful smile from his sickly boyfriend before heading to the kitchen.

It didn't take too long to prepare Klaus's meal. There was a can of soup in the cupboard that Dave had picked up during his last shopping excursion. He quickly dumped the contents into a bowl and heated it in the microwave before returning to Klaus. Klaus's eyes were closed, but Dave could tell he wasn't quite asleep judging by his breathing. He set the bowl down on the nightstand as he took a seat beside Klaus on the bed before he ran his fingers through Klaus's curls. He slowly opened his eyes to peer to Dave.

"I'm back, you ready to sit up?" Dave asked as Klaus simply looked at him with groggy eyes. "I'll help you. Come on, it's time to eat."

Dave peeled the blanket away from Klaus's figure, looping his arms around his shoulder to help ease him upright in the bed. Klaus groaned at the motion, his tense muscles spasming in protest to his new position. Dave frowned at his boyfriends uncomfortable sound, stopping in his tracks.

"You okay?" He cupped Klaus's sweaty cheek within his palm, stroking the pad of his thumb across the hollow of his cheekbone. "What's wrong?"

"M'sore," Klaus groaned through gritted teeth. His eyebrows furrowed before relaxing. He smiled tiredly at Dave, gripping his knee to reassure him. "I'm okay. I think you're right, though. I think I am sick."

"You're definitely sick, Klaus," Dave kept his grip on Klaus's cheek, bringing his other hand to his forehead to gauge his temperature with a frown. "I don't like how your temperature keeps fluctuating. You feel warmer again to me."

"I think I just need to eat, I think it's just exhaustion, maybe? I don't know. I'm no doctor, but that's all I can come up with," Klaus exhaled a shaky breath relaxing against Dave's touch. "I do feel rather famished. I think it's just everything's finally catching up to me all at once. Oh goody."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Dave smiled sadly, retracting his hands from Klaus's face as he inched himself towards the soup. "Let's get you fed and taken care of then, okay? I'm hopeful that once you eat and rest a bit more you'll start feeling like yourself again."

"I sure hope so, cause I don't like feeling how I do right now. Never wanted to know what a steaming pile of horse shit felt like, but I can genuinely say I've experienced it first hand." Klaus exhaled a soft giggle before wincing at the jolting motion it caused in his sore muscles. Dave's lips twitched into a lopsided smirk. He felt so bad that Klaus felt this way, he'd certainly had a rough last few days, adding illness on top of everything else was the last thing he needed. He was just grateful he was there for Klaus, now. That he had someone who could help him, protect him and nurse him back to health. Dave swiveled the spoon in the bowl, mixing the noodles and vegetables thoroughly in the soup before lifting a spoonful of broth towards Klaus's lips.

"Open up." Klaus snorted, lifting his shaky hand to take the spoon from Dave, but Dave just shook his head with a stern smile. "Nope, you just relax and let me handle this. Now, open wide."

"Are you going to blow on it for me too, Dave?" Klaus giggled, trying again to reach for the spoon only for Dave to pull back. "I can do it, Dave. I don't think a spoon is going to exhaust me to carry—"

"You're too stubborn, Klaus," Dave began with a soft chuckle, "I know you can manage doing this, but you need to take it easy. I know you're not used to having anyone help you, but I'm here now, let me take care of you, okay?"

"My, Davey, I'm starting to think you have a caretaker kink," Klaus's lips tugged into a crooked grin, a soft chuckle leaving his lips. "I'm not complaining, it's cute, but I can do this."

"Nope. Now open up, here comes the choo-choo train to flavor town." Dave's smile spread wide at the snort and eye roll that earned from Klaus. While unorthodox, his methods worked, though. Klaus relaxed, honestly too tired to protest or fight it any longer. He didn't have the energy to, he still felt so weak. Truthfully, he felt embarrassed over the situation. He could certainly manage to feed himself some soup, he didn't need to be fed by his boyfriend, but he knew that Dave meant well. It was actually extremely sweet that he felt the need to do so much for Klaus, he just wasn't accustomed to such pleasantries. Shit, he never even cared to take this good of care of himself, let alone have someone else fuss over his well being so much. It was strange and hard to accept to a large degree, but also so incredibly welcomed and appreciated.

Dave fed Klaus, lifting a spoon full of soup up to his lips and allowing him to blow on its contents before easing the spoon into his mouth. It was a slow process, each small slurp felt like a gallon to Klaus, his stomach still not used to eating much food. Now, with a two day gap between his last meal and this one, he felt his stomach expanding with the meal and becoming uncomfortably full rather quickly. Dave lifted the spoon to his lips again, but Klaus groaned pinching his lips closed and tilting his head away to avoid taking another bite.

"You've barely had anything, Klaus. Can you eat at least a few more bites?" Klaus groaned, his hands darting to his belly when an unpleasant cramp settled within his stomach. He moaned, rubbing his aching abdomen with his flattened palms, his breathing growing shaky and labored.

"No, I can't, I—" he paused, one hand moving from his upset stomach to his mouth, "Dave, I don't mean to alarm you, but I think I'm going to be sick."

"What?" Dave asked, eyebrows furrowing with concern as he set the bowl down on the nightstand. Klaus closed his eyes, his breathing picking up as his hand trembled against his pursed lips.

"Dave, I'm sorry," he moaned, a heave shaking his frame. "I'm gonna be sick."

Dave quickly wrapped his arms around Klaus, aiding him in standing before quickly guiding him into the bathroom. Klaus collapsed onto his knees, his hands instantly gripping onto the cool porcelain as he heaved painfully into the toilet and expelled the contents of his stomach into the bowl. He continued to wretch, his body shaking with exhaustion with each painful heave. Klaus was left panting heavily trying to catch his breath as he rested his heated forehead against his arm atop the toilet.

"Fuck, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Klaus panted through his labored breaths. He groaned, his hand rubbing soothing circles in his ailing belly.

"Sorry?" Dave asked, tucking a sweat soaked curl behind Klaus's ear, "what on earth are you sorry for?"

"I'm such a mess, I'm so sorry you have to see me this way." Klaus sucked in a sharp breath, clutching at his stomach when it cramped painfully again. Dave smiled sadly at Klaus, cooing softly to reassure him.

"Klaus, hey, it's okay. Don't feel bad, you're just sick, people get sick. You're gonna be okay."

"I just feel bad, that's all you do is take care of me and Riley. You shouldn't have to. I'm sorry." Dave gently ran his palm over Klaus's back, a soft smile tugging the corner of his lips.

"Honestly," Dave began with a light chuckle, "I like doing it. I love to take care of people." Klaus peeled his face from his arm to peer to Dave, his eyebrow raising in a teasing manner.

"Oh, so it _is_ a kink thing," he smiled at Dave before his stomach lurched painfully in protest, earning an agonized groan from Klaus. He leaned over the toilet, vomiting yet again. He didn't understand how he had so much puke inside of him, surely his stomach must be empty by now? He desperately tried to catch his breath, his lungs fighting for air as he once again draped himself tiredly over the toilet, resting his head against his arms. Dave rubbed his back, assuring him that he was okay and coaching him to take deep breaths. When his stomach felt settled enough, Klaus leveraged himself off of the toilet, gesturing to his sickly physique with shaky unsteady hands. "Does _this_ arouse you?"

Dave couldn't contain the chuckle that rattled his chest as he leaned closer to Klaus, pushing his sweat drenched hair out of his face to tuck a strand of it behind his poor sick boyfriend's ear. He smiled as their gazes met.

"Maybe not so much that," he kissed Klaus's sweat glistening forehead which earned Klaus to lean happily into the touch. His eyes fluttered as they steadily grew ever heavier with fatigue. Dave pressed his forehead to Klaus's, their noses nuzzling against each other's. "Just, let me take care of you, okay?"

Klaus's lips formed a subtle smile, his nose rubbing against Dave's as he bobbed his head in a nod. "Okay."

Dave's smile intensified as he wrapped his arms around Klaus's figure, pulling his boyfriend into his arms in an embrace. Klaus buried his nose against Dave's neck seeking out his warmth as he clung onto him, exhaling an albeit exhausted yet content sigh.

"Okay," Dave began, running his palms up and down Klaus's back to comfort him and soothe him. He could feel his body relaxing against his own and knew he needed to get him back to bed; the poor love needed to rest. "You feeling a bit better? Think you're strong enough to make it back to bed?"

"Hmm," Klaus's lashes fluttered as he nodded, "yeah, I think so." Dave looped his arm beneath Klaus's shoulder and slowly helped ease him back onto his feet.

"You good?" Dave asked as he released his grip on Klaus's shoulders, his hand gently traced down his back until it rested on his waist.

"Yeah, m'good, I'm—" Klaus's stance wavered as he started to sink back to the floor, but Dave was quick to steady him.

"Easy does it, darlin," Klaus groaned, his hand cupping Dave's forearm when a strong spell of vertigo took him by surprise.

"M'dizzy..." Dave's instincts kicked in instantly when Klaus's body toggled again. He as delicately as he could scooped Klaus's body into his arms in a bridal carry, earning a surprised yip from Klaus in response. "Jesus Dave, a little warning next time."

"Sorry, darlin," Dave pecked the tip of Klaus's nose which sent butterflies soaring through the sickly man's stomach. "Can't have you passing out though. I gotta—"

"Keep me safe?" Klaus whispered as he tucked himself beneath his boyfriend's chin, "I know." Klaus closed his eyes as his exhaustion caught up to him, simply unable to stay awake any longer. Dave pressed his lips to Klaus's curls, hugging him tighter against his chest as he walked him back to the bedroom and laid him down. Klaus stirred minutely, a soft moan leaving his lips as he opened his eyes into slits.

"Cuddle me?" he began, his lips pushing out into a pout begging for his boyfriend's presence. Dave hadn't the pleasure of knowing him as he grew up, so he was unaware of how Klaus always had been extra clingy whilst sick, "pwease?"

Dave giggled taking in Klaus's precious appearance. He wouldn't ever get over how absolutely adorable the man was. Even so sick he still managed to make Dave's world so much brighter and happier. Klaus was the sunshine to his life and always managed to make even his most dreary days so much more beautiful. "Of course, darlin. Scoot over, let me in."

Klaus lazily inched himself over allowing Dave to curl his body against his own atop the mattress. Klaus's arms encircled around Dave's waist, his warmth instantly seeping deep into Klaus's touch and chasing any ounce of a chill that plagued him away. He smiled when he pressed his cheek against Dave's broad chest. His strong heartbeat rang against his ear, acting as a lullaby to effectively lull Klaus right back to sleep. Dave smiled as he watched Klaus rest; his soft inhale and exhale of air the only sound he made aside from the occasional moan or babbling of incoherent words. He was so cute when he'd sleep. Dave pulled the blankets closer against them, wrapping his own arms around Klaus's frame as he rested his cheek atop his slumbering boyfriend's curls.

"I will always keep you safe, Klaus. Sleep well, darlin. Feel better." He kissed his temple earning a sleepy smile from Klaus before Dave, too, peacefully drifted to sleep.

—-

Klaus's entire physical, mental and emotional state was left ravaged after his experience with his powers. Dave was hopeful that after getting him to rest and finally coaxing him to eat and stay hydrated he would start feeling better within a short couple of days. Unfortunately, he was wrong. Klaus's entire physical being was left utterly weakened; run down and still left battling a rather high fever for quite some time after that first day he came down sick. His fever would finally drop down to an acceptable temperature, only to skyrocket back up within just a few short hours. He battled dizzy spells and intense bouts of nausea; so-much-so that Klaus was left entirely confined to bed rest for the better half of an eight day span—when his fever finally broke.

Dave woke up and rolled over in bed where his blue gaze was met by a weary set of green irises.

"Morning, darlin," Dave whispered as his palm swept Klaus's hair out of his eyes before flattening against his forehead to gauge his temperature, a ritual he'd done every morning since Klaus had come down ill. He smiled, joy filling his chest when he didn't feel any heat, "how ya feeling? Seems your fever may have finally broken."

"I feel better," Klaus hummed, his eyes closing for a brief moment before opening back into slits, "still tired, but much better."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," he grinned before kissing Dave's bare chest, "I really do."

"I'm so relieved to hear that, darlin," Dave kissed Klaus's temple, raking his fingers through his curls before drawing comforting circles against his back.

They laid there just savoring one another's presence for quite a while; Klaus cuddling against Dave's warmth as he listened to his heart beating against the shell of his ear. His eyelids felt so unbearably heavy as he was still left buried beneath a mountain of fatigue, but he truly did feel so much better as a whole. His stomach no longer ached, and he no longer felt that he was trapped inside a real life snow globe fighting the cold. He was warm, and content laying with his beautifully perfect boyfriend Dave by his side. Klaus sucked in a deep breath, nuzzling his cheek closer against Dave's broad chest as he peered up to look at his boyfriend in his beautiful ocean blue eyes. Dave smiled at Klaus, running his fingers through his hair before he cupped his cheek and craned himself down to plant a kiss against his no longer feverish temple.

"Davey," Klaus began with a soft smile, his brilliant green eyes looking to Dave with wonder, "could we go sit in the living room for a while? I'd love to get out of this bed finally. I swear I'm gonna form bed sores soon if I don't get up and stretch my legs and move for a bit."

"Okay," Dave kissed his temple again, a fond smile gracing his lips but his eyebrows knitted together with concern, "you're sure you're feeling up to it? I can see in your eyes that you're still tired. Don't push yourself too hard, you still should be taking it easy."

"I just want to get out of this bed, baby," Klaus closed his eyes and rested his head against Dave's chest again, "I promise to take it easy, I just need to get up. I need to try to get better - back to normal."

Dave couldn't say no to that. He knew how badly Klaus wanted his life to return to normalcy; he was well aware of how desperately Klaus wanted to be able to walk around and just spend time with Dave like a normal couple without him fussing over him and making sure he wasn't going to collapse from exhaustion. More than anything, Dave knew how much Klaus missed his daughter. His fever made it impossible for Klaus to spend any time with Riley. They didn't want to risk him passing whatever he had onto her, even though both men were thoroughly convinced that what was ailing Klaus wasn't a typical illness, but rather the aftershock of the effects of the toll his abilities and quarrels with the ghosts who plagued him left on his body. Even now, eight days later he was still left in a severely weakened state. Dave could see how tired Klaus was even _still_. He only hoped that he would start feeling more like himself physically soon.

"Alright, darlin, you ready to try to get up now?" Dave asked while trailing his fingers up and down Klaus's back in a soothing manner. Truthfully, Klaus was ready to fall back to sleep. He was so tired, but he knew he needed to fight through his seemingly endless fatigue and climb his way back to a healthy state of being. He inhaled a breath before releasing a long sigh just trying to psych himself up.

"I'm ready." Klaus smiled when the fingers of Dave's hand laced within his own. Dave sat upright on the bed and slowly helped leverage Klaus into an erect position atop the mattress. They took it slow; knowing that Klaus still would get lightheaded if he jostled around too quickly. Klaus's legs dangled over the edge of the mattress, and Dave helped position him until he knew his feet were firmly planted on the ground before sitting beside him on the bed, looping his arm around the small of his back to ground him. Klaus closed his eyes and took another deep breath before he opened them and fixed his gaze upon Dave's stunning features.

"You alright, or are you feeling dizzy?" Dave asked as he watched Klaus's long perfect lashes flutter minutely.

"I'm fine," Klaus started with a firm nod, "I think I can stand." Dave kissed his temple and squeezed his hand before hooking his arm closer around his waist, slowly easing Klaus onto his feet. He wavered briefly, his knees wobbling as he started to sway but Dave was quick to steady him and hold him tighter against himself. Klaus took a step and nearly fell, his limbs simply not used to bearing weight anymore. In the past eight days the only motion he had was Dave carrying him to and from the bathroom when he would get sick; otherwise he'd been entirely bound to his bed, simply too ill and weak to do much of anything other than sleep.

"Take it slow, darlin. Don't rush it, you need to take it easy." Dave encouraged, "want me to carry you, give you one more day to rest?" Klaus shook his head in protest.

"No, baby, I can do it, I want to. I _need_ to do this." Dave nodded his head in understanding.

"Okay, darlin. You can do it, I know you can. I have faith in you," both men exchanged a smile before their lips met in a delicate kiss, "ready to take a step? We will do it together, you just say when."

"Okay," Klaus began taking another deep breath, "I'm ready." Dave held Klaus up as their feet moved tandemly one step forward. After each step they took a small break allowing Klaus to compose himself. It broke Dave's heart to see how tiring this was on Klaus; something so simple and so easy to take for granted being so difficult for him. Each step seemed to steal his breath away, leaving him gasping for air and his limbs shaking and thoroughly spent. Klaus was a fighter, though. It was hard for him, each small step felt like climbing twenty flights of stairs, but he never gave up. Their pace was slow and Dave swore it took a solid fifteen minutes just to get from the bedroom to the living room, but they did make it, and they did it together.

"Here, darlin, sit down. You need to relax for a while." Klaus could only nod as he wiped at the beads of sweat that had formed against his brow. He thanked Dave as he lowered his ravaged body onto the oversized blue sofa. Klaus's body all but melted against the fabric, slumping as he heaved for oxygen. "Deep, slow breaths, darlin. Easy, you're alright. You made it. I'm going to get you some water, okay? Just relax, you did so good, I'm so proud of you." Dave leaned down and kissed Klaus's curls before going to grab him a glass of water.

Klaus closed his eyes and tilted his head back, resting it against the back of the cushions allowing himself to just focus on steadying his breathing. He couldn't help but feel frustrated in himself. He hated that he still felt this way; so tired, so _weak_. He just wanted to be able to maneuver around the house like a normal person, was that so much to ask? He had a boyfriend now - a fucking amazing one, no less, and while he would forever be eternally grateful to Dave for his patience and unwavering support, Klaus only wished he wasn't forced to care for him. They should be able to enjoy themselves doing regular couple activities. Shit, Klaus was excited for the day he, Dave and Riley could even just go for a stroll around the block together. Something so incredibly mundane sounded like the best luxury vacation Klaus could ever dream up at this point. He was ready to enjoy such simple things again - to live his life with his beautiful daughter and his incredible boyfriend and finally be happy.

"You alright? Look like you're falling asleep," said Dave as he sat beside Klaus on the sofa, "here, drink some water."

Klaus's eyes fluttered as he peered to Dave, he hadn't even realized it but he was starting to doze off again. He was ready for his energy to return to normal. Riley slept less than him, and she slept for anywhere from fifteen to seventeen hours a day. He was like a baby - being tended to and fussed over, carried around and fed. Klaus was just thankful Dave didn't need to change him too (talk about embarrassing!). Klaus yawned as he sat up, Dave's strong hand bracing against his back as he helped ease him upright before handing Klaus the glass of water.

"Thanks," Klaus smiled in thanks before he held the glass to his lips. His hands shook from the weight of it and he couldn't help but roll his eyes at his own weakness. Dave assisted Klaus in holding the glass, much to his chagrin, and took it away once Klaus was finished to set it down on the coffee table. Klaus's tired eyes met Dave's strong blues and he quickly found himself maneuvering around so that he was sitting in Dave's lap, his arms lazily looped around his neck and his head propped against his boyfriend's chest. "Mm, you're so much more comfortable than any old sofa."

"Oh, am I now?" Dave's smile spread wide as he wrapped his arms around Klaus's waist, hugging him closer to himself while he kissed the top of his head. Klaus hummed, curling himself ever closer against Dave's warmth. Dave delicately ran his palm up and down Klaus's back and his expression softened as he watched Klaus's eyes droop, begging to close. "You tired?"

"A little," Klaus admitted, "I don't want to go to bed, though. I want to stay like this, at least for a little while longer. As long as you don't mind."

"Mind?" Dave nuzzled his cheek atop Klaus's curls, his lips parting his hair with a soft kiss, "I've dreamt of holding you like this since the moment I first met you."

Klaus's cheeks flushed at Dave's words. Just the notion that Dave; perfectly charming and unbelievably handsome Dave - the literal epitome of perfection felt that way about _him_? Klaus Hargreeves; the addict, the disgrace, the complete and utter failure of a human being? He'd only ever dreamt of meeting a man like Dave - but finding _love_ with him and learning that Dave wanted this just as badly as him, as well? Klaus's heart fluttered with the thought. The warmth of his boyfriends kind touch, his strong physique just holding him, cradling him and caring for and about him so deeply. He couldn't believe how he'd ever managed to get so lucky.

"Me too." Klaus whispered as his eyes locked with Dave's and they just stared at each other; gazing deep into one another's eyes. Dave cupped Klaus's cheek in his palm, running his thumb over the hollow of his cheekbone before he leaned himself closer to Klaus and pressed their lips together, their lips melding as one in an intimate kiss. Their lips parted and Klaus laid his head against Dave's broad chest once more as he closed his eyes, his energy quickly fading.

"Ready to go lay back down?" Dave asked as he hugged Klaus closer, peppering his forehead with tiny delicate kisses. Klaus smiled leaning into Dave's sweet affection before he opened his mouth to speak. He gasped, screwing his eyes shut, his hand darting to his stomach when an unpleasant pain settled there. Dave's heart plunged from his chest with concern as he took in Klaus's pained expression. "What is it, are you okay?"

"M'stomach," Klaus groaned and gently rubbed at his abdomen, "it's cramping."

"Are you going to be sick?" Dave laid his hand over Klaus's brow, worried that his fever must have returned if his stomach hurt him so badly.

"No," Klaus began, "I think I'm hungry."

"Hungry?" Dave asked. Klaus's appetite had been mediocre at best, getting him to drink soup had been its own struggle, hearing him ask for a meal was a relief and he hoped a surefire sign he was on his way to recovery. Klaus's stomach growled and he rubbed it while both men looked at each other stifling laughter.

"I'm starving." Dave exhaled a laugh as he kissed Klaus's temple. He gently eased Klaus back onto the couch, earning a groan of protest from his boyfriend.

"Sorry, darlin, but you heard your tummy, you've gotta eat. What are you hungry for? I'll make you whatever you want." Klaus sunk down deep into the cushions as he continued to rub his stomach with one hand and strum his fingers over his pursed lips with the other as he pondered his decisions.

"Hmm, tomato soup?"

"Coming right up—"

"Oh! And maybe a grilled cheese," Klaus puckered his lips, "please?"

"Wow, soup and a sandwich?" Dave's smile broadened against his features, "you must be feeling better." Klaus smiled and nodded before Dave turned to enter the kitchen.

"Davey?" Klaus called softly.

"Yeah, darlin?"

"Can you make it with Muenster cheese?" Klaus shot him his infamous puppy dog pout.

"I'll see what I can do." He turned towards the kitchen again.

"And Dave," Klaus called as Dave once again faced him, eyebrows raising in question. "Will you cut it into triangles? Four of them?"

"Goodness, now you're just being needy," Dave joked with a laugh. "I'll do anything for you, doll, whatever you want. Any more requests, m'lord?" Klaus chuckled while he shook his head. Dave bowed with a sly smirk before he entered the kitchen and got to work.

It didn't take long to make the soup nor the grilled cheese sandwich. Dave was sure to make it with Muenster cheese just as Klaus had requested. He cooked it to perfection and cut it into four perfectly golden brown triangles before bringing the meal to his famished boyfriend. Klaus's eyes widened at the delicacy. He straightened his posture on the couch, stifling a wince when his belly cramped uncomfortably again. His stomach growled loudly at the sight of the food. Klaus took the first triangle and dunked it into the soup before taking a bite, strings of cheese stretched from his lips to the sandwich as he pulled it from his mouth. He hummed in pleasure at the taste.

"Holy fuck Dave, this is amazing." Klaus dragged out the final word, his eyes nearly rolling into the back of his head. Dave smiled and rubbed his back as he happily watched Klaus eat. Klaus finished the first triangle and grabbed the second one, gently nudging the plate towards Dave. "I'm getting full, share it with me?" Dave nodded and took one of the triangles, dunking it into the soup before he took a bite.

"Holy shit." Dave glanced towards Klaus with raised eyebrows, maybe Klaus was into something with this concoction.

"It's the Muenster - sheer perfection!" Klaus held up the sandwich and kissed it for emphasis causing both Dave and Klaus to share a good laugh. Klaus finished his two triangles, and ate half of the soup as well as finishing his glass of water before leaning against Dave's shoulder. "M'so full." He stated as he rubbed his stomach.

"That's the most you've eaten since I've met you I think." Dave smiled, wrapping his arm around Klaus's waist effectively pulling his boyfriend closer before kissing his temple. Klaus hummed as his eyes fluttered and slowly drifted closed. His belly was full and it was quickly lulling him to sleep. "Wanna lie down now?" Klaus didn't respond so Dave figured he must have fallen asleep and attempted to pick him up, but the action caused Klaus to shake his head.

"I can do it," Klaus's eyes opened into weary slits as he sluggishly sat up on the couch, "let me do it, I can walk. I've got to." He tried to stand, but he was just so tired—

"I know you can darlin, and you will," Dave assured as he scooped Klaus into his arms in a bridal carry. He could clearly see his exhaustion. He was proud of the progress Klaus was making, but he didn't want him to overdo it and risk him backpedaling or getting worse again. Klaus went to protest but he just didn't have the strength. "one more day of rest won't kill ya." Klaus smiled tiredly at Dave, who leaned in to kiss his forehead. Klaus closed his eyes at his tender touch and they stayed closed as he lost his battle against his exhaustion and he quickly succumbed to sleep. Dave carried him back to bed and allowed him the rest he so deserved.

Another week passed by and slowly but surely Klaus's strength began to return to him. It was an agonizingly slow process, truthfully both men were shocked at just how long it took him to return to mostly normal. Each day Dave helped Klaus out of bed and held onto him, never leaving his side as they both took slow but sure footed steps into the living room. Each day they increased Klaus's step load; first just entering the living room, then there and back to the bedroom. Then they started walking around the interior of the house simply walking circles to help regain his strength.

It was almost like physical therapy; retraining his muscles how they were supposed to function and initiating muscle memory to take place. By the end of the week Klaus was ecstatic when Dave suggested they try to go for a walk around the block. It was a little chilly outside, so Dave bundled Klaus up in warm attire before ensuring Riley was swaddled in her own warm clothing before laying her in her stroller. This was Klaus's first outing with Riley in her stroller, as well as his first time getting to spend any real time with his baby girl in a two week span. To say he was excited was an understatement. Dave had Klaus hold onto the stroller to help steady him, keeping one hand firmly wrapped around his waist for added support. It wasn't a far walk, not even quite a quarter mile, but everything about it was perfect to Klaus. He smiled the entire duration, his eyes glancing between Riley's slumbering form in her stroller, and his boyfriends kind eyes as they watched him making sure he was safe and comfortable and not over exerting himself.

By the end of the walk Klaus was tired, but not overly exhausted as he had been at the start of the week. Still, Dave made sure he sat down and propped his feet up to relax, tending to him hand and foot. Klaus laid on the couch, throw pillows propped beneath his knees, a fluffy blanket draped over his lap as Dave put on their favorite movie for him to watch while he prepared their dinner. Klaus's eyelids felt heavy so he allowed them to drift closed. He wasn't asleep quite yet when the couch dipped beside him and a tiny, warm familiar weight was laid atop his chest. Klaus's lips instantly pulled into the widest smile as his eyes fluttered open to see Dave laying Riley against his chest. After two weeks of not being able to hold her Klaus was instantly overwhelmed with such a strong surge of happiness and wrapped his arms around his daughter, pulling her closer and burying his lips against her curls.

"Hey baby girl," Klaus cooed softly as his lips began to tremble, warm tears of joy trailing his cheeks, "daddy missed you so much princess. I love you so much. I promise to never do that to you again." He kissed her again as more tears tumbled over his cheekbones. Dave smiled warmly at Klaus taking in the beautiful moment and recording it to his memory. He wiped Klaus's tears and snuggled himself onto the couch beside his boyfriend, smoothing Riley's onesie before resting his hand atop her tiny back and kissing Klaus's forehead. The perfect little family stayed there, cuddled together on the couch, just so thankful that they were all together again, and that they were all happy, healthy, and _safe_.

—

**Authors Note:** _Poor Klaus was so sleepy and sick after those mean old ghosties! Thank goodness for Dave! and for him FINALLY starting to feel better!_

_Thank you to my lovely commenter from last chapter, you are a doll, I am so happy you like this story! And welcome to all of the new followers!_

_If you are reading along I would love to hear from you in the comments! have a great day! ALSO "What's the date—the EXACT date?" "March 24th." Happy Apocolypse week! Today is the day Five returned from the future on the show! Woo hoo, time to celebrate! ;)_


	11. Growth And Development

Dear Ben,

Wow, I can't believe I'm actually sitting here writing you a letter like we are some cryptic pen-pals, but here I am! I just figured this may be a more detailed way to keep you updated with Riley and me, and also, hello, I can send you pictures now! Why didn't we think of this before?! Honestly Benny, for being a college kid you sure can be dumb sometimes, why didn't you suggest this?!

Anyways, sorry I've been a little MIA the last couple of weeks, I've just been dealing with some personal issues with my abilities and my health. Not my abilities as a father, for once, but my actual "human Ouija board" abilities - go figure. I'm not going to lie, Benny, it was bad. Really bad. I'll spare you the gory details, but just know that I'm okay now, and Riley is too. We are safe, and you shouldn't worry. I'd tell you if there was ever a reason to freak out, I promise.

Actually, I'll be honest, I was nervous to tell you this next part over the phone, so this may be what sparked this letter to actually come about in the first place. You're not going to believe it Ben, but I met someone. Turns out, Riley makes an amazing wing man! His name is Dave, and we met shortly after you left for school, in the baby food section of the grocery store, no less. I swear it's like it was destined to happen, bro. Riley was fussy, and I was having a minor panic attack, and Dave, well, he was just _there_ and knew exactly what to do for both of us. He even offered to drive us home when it started to rain. I won't go too far into detail for sake of attempting to keep this letter short-ish and sweet, but I'll just say I know what you're thinking, Ben, but you're wrong. Dave is different. He's unlike any other man I've ever met. He's kind, sweet, and I don't know how, but he somehow finds it in his heart to care about me. Oh, and did I mention he adores Riley?! How could I not find him swoon worthy? He's the only reason I'm still standing right now, Ben. Seriously. Dave has been there for Riley and I through all of my recent downs, and I could not be any more grateful for him. I literally owe him my life. He's amazing, you'd love him Benny, I know you would. We've only been "official" for about two weeks, so I don't want to get too far ahead of myself, but I don't know, he is definitely something special.

Any-who, I'll stop boring you with this sappy update about me and cut to the chase to fill you in on the actual important portion of this letter:

I can't believe my sweet baby girl is one month old already! Well, 5 weeks old, and boy, has she already had an eventful first month of life! She loves eating her bottle, and makes the cutest little faces and suckling sounds like a piggie! However, she still hates sleeping unless she's held. Not that I'll ever complain. If I'm being honest, I don't much like sleeping unless I'm holding her, either. I guess we have that in common. Riley enjoys her daddy singing her to sleep as long as she's in my arms, and she weighs a whopping 9 lbs 12 oz and is 22 inches long. She's in the 55th percentile for height and 30th for weight. She grows every day, I swear. One day I'll blink and she will be a teenager and I'll be shooing her admirers off the porch with a broom!

All joking aside, I still can't believe I'm lucky enough to call her my own. She truly is perfect, bro. I can't wait for you to see her again, we love you and miss you.

Oh, I hope you enjoy the two pictures I've attached! The one of her in the violet onesie you got her was taken last weekend after our daily stroll around the neighborhood. Then you probably recognize the other photo, since it's the one you two took together the day you left for school, you know, when you two promised to never forget one another. She can't wait to see you Benny.

You can either write back or call. Or both! If you like the letter let me know, maybe we can make this a monthly thing, you know, to document all of Riley's progress in life! I'll talk to you soon, bro. We love you! Have fun in school!

Love, Klaus and Riley

—-

Benjamin!

I'm glad you enjoyed your last letter! I agree, I think this is a great idea! I love your suggestion of keeping them and framing them or adding them to her baby book. I knew I kept in contact with you for a reason! Kidding, kidding, you know I love you!

Hm, where do I begin? Well, things with Dave are still going great! I've got to say Benny, when you called me and demanded to speak to him I almost shat my pants. Then you went and surprised me and made me all giddy by just thanking him for being so good to me and Riley and getting to know him?! Have I told you lately that you're my favorite brother? Because you are. You have no idea how much that meant to me, bro. It made Dave happy, too. I told you that you two would hit it off! He adores you. It's pretty cute, I have to keep reminding him that hey, _I'm_ the boyfriend! You're supposed to adore _me_! He's excited to meet you. Seriously, when can you visit? Riley and I miss you so much, and now Dave wants in on that action, too.

As for me, I'm doing pretty well. I'm still not at my full strength, but I improve every single day. I have a lot more energy, but I still get exhausted by the early afternoon and need to take daily naps to function. Dave is amazing, though. On my low energy days he takes care of Riley and still manages to fuss over me, tending to my every beckoning call. You know, two nights ago was one of the worst days I've had in awhile. Riley and I were crazy busy all day with doctors appointments for her, and grocery shopping. I hadn't slept well because of nightmares the night before, and didn't get to take my nap because of all of the errands. When we finally got home I was physically shaking. I was so exhausted. Would you believe that Dave drew me a bath, made me the most fantastic dinner, and then proceeded to give me a back massage until I fell asleep? Like, woah, really? I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. He's seriously so amazing Ben. He takes such great care of Riley and me. I don't know how I went from being the unluckiest son of a bitch, to the absolute most lucky man in the world. It's crazy to me that my shameless promiscuity of my past wound up bringing something so positive into my life. Riley truly has changed my life for the better.

The ghosts haven't been a major issue since the incident. Thank god. Dave did get around to finishing hanging all of the crosses and rosaries around the house in every doorway. Thanks for being so cool about that. I know you said you were absolutely all for it, anything that would help keep us all safe, but you know me. I just feel bad we had to put so many holes in your walls. Sometimes I can still hear the faint murmur of them, but I swear it's like they're afraid of Dave. Whenever he's around they leave me be. It's only when I'm alone that I ever experience them at all. It's nothing like it was, though. I promise. Dave is like my own personal good luck charm. I really, really, really like him, Benny. He is so amazing with Riley, and she loves him so much. He's just…wow, he's perfect. I know our relationship is still pretty fresh, but fuck, I'm already falling hard for him. It's weird, I've never felt this way about anyone I've dated, ever. Dave truly is one of a kind. Every morning when I wake up I thank the world for bringing him into our lives. I'd be lost without him.

Riley is 2 months old now! According to her latest doctors appointment she now weighs 12 lbs 1 ounce and is 22.75 inches tall! Slow down baby girl! I keep telling her she's not allowed to get any bigger, but I don't think she'll listen. She is so strong and extremely spirited! Dave always calls her his little wiggling worm. I think she must like the nickname though, since it always makes her smile. She's just started noticing her surroundings more, and becoming more aware of everything that's going on around her, and she just loves to pretend she is walking! Her legs are powerful, though! I think she bruised one of my ribs, the little stinker. She may be tiny, but she sure is mighty! Her smile is contagious, and we just love it! I can't wait to see what her future holds!

Enjoy the new pictures! Yes, that's Dave in the photo giving her a bath. Aren't they both adorable? And look at those dimples on her cheeks when she smiles! As if she didn't already melt my heart every time I looked at her, she honestly could not be any more beautiful. My daughter is perfect, Benny. You should be so proud to call that little princess your niece. I'll write to you again next month! We love you, Benny! Take care, maybe send us some pictures back? Just no nudes, okay? I don't need Dave getting all googly eyed over you. He's my boyfriend, and I intend to keep it that way for as long as I can!

Love, Klaus and Riley

—-

Hey there, it's just me again!

I've got to say this may be my favorite update letter to date. First off, allow me to thank you once again for your wonderful suggestion of having Dave move in here with Riley and I. He stayed over pretty often anyways, but I don't know, since he "officially" moved in I just feel so much more comfortable and relaxed. I feel safer, you know what I mean? I don't know, maybe it's all in my head, but it's like what little shadow of insecurities and fear I still had completely vanished that very first night of him snuggling with me in our bed. Thank you, Benny. Really. I wouldn't have ever dreamed of asking you to do that, this is your house, after all. The last thing I'd ever want to do is overstep my boundaries. When you called and asked him to move in here with me, to "come home" to me and Riley, I just, I don't know, I really appreciate it. It's such a simple thing, but I truly feel such an immense difference already. Those tiny whispers from the dead that still lingered have completely gone, as have my nightmares, and I can honestly say, that I have never slept better in my entire life.

My health has improved a lot since my last update. I'm not nearly as tired anymore, and I finally am starting to feel more like myself again. Every now and then I still have a bad day here or there, but overall I feel amazing. Lucky for me, Dave really likes to cook, and might I add, he is fantastic at it. I swear it's like I live with my own personal chef. You'll be happy to know that Dave has made it his life mission to help me get to a healthy weight. Actually, he's been making me take better care of myself in general; reminding me to eat, to stay hydrated, and ensuring that I get plenty of rest. I swear he's trying to fatten me up, he calls it "operation doughboy", can you believe that?! Who knows, maybe the next time you see me you won't even recognize me. Hopefully you won't need a forklift to haul my ass out of this house one day. Oh god, could you imagine?!

Dave is seriously the best boyfriend I could ever ask for, Ben. The faucet in the kitchen broke last weekend, and I didn't even need to call a repairman. Dave is so handy, I swear he knows how to do everything. He fixed that, and he also fixed that squeaky cabinet door in the laundry room. Seriously, could he be any more perfect? He does repairs, he cooks, he cleans, he's amazing with Riley. He gives the best massages, and boy, is he a fantastic cuddler.

It got really cold here last week, dipped down into the low 20's, and it of course just so happened to be during one of my bad days. I was laying under the covers in bed trying so hard to sleep but I just couldn't, I couldn't get warm, I was so uncomfortable and exhausted. Dave got home from work late and curled up with me under the covers, and oh my god, I felt instant relief. His body is like a furnace and chased my chills away. He just held me, Benny. He held me, and ran his fingers through my hair, and kissed my forehead until I fell asleep. He treats me like I'm the most important person in his life. I've never had that before, ever. I can't remember a time before Dave when a man touched me without cruel intent. I just...I'm so happy, Ben.

Riley is 3 months old! She is really interested in trying to crawl, and roll from her back to her front. She can't do either just yet, but she sure tries really hard! With her starting to get more active, Dave and I baby proofed the house. We got all of those fancy outlet covers so she can't stick her little fingers in where they shouldn't be and electrocute herself. Dave had a brilliant idea, and he's actually doing it right now as I write this letter. Since the whole house is tile, he suggested we cover the floors in the living room with foam mats, that way when she starts really crawling and moving around she won't hurt her knees or her little hands. Added bonus if she falls, which, let's be serious, it's inevitable, all the padding will make it impossible for her to hurt herself. It's awesome Benny, I'll send you pictures once he's done installing it. The mats are gray and match the house, and Dave even bought an extra memory foam padded rug for added cushion. It's the same shade of blue as the couch! It matches so perfectly! Also, don't worry, none of it is permanent or glued down, it just locks into place, and Dave measured and fit it to the space so it all lays snugly and seamlessly. Leave it to Dave to be extra amazing and helpful and perfect, making sure my baby girl is safe. God, I adore him.

Riley is "talking" up a storm and as happy as ever! Of course, by talking I really mean babbling, but I can sense it, the words are coming soon! She loves to spend time with Dave, and we always say he's her second daddy. It's hilarious Ben, whenever we are all three out together people always ask us which one of us is her father. Since she has my hair and complexion, but she has dimples and blue eyes - just like Dave's! He loves her as much as I do, I swear. Her "daddy's" love her so much, and we know she cannot wait until she can finally "talk" to her favorite uncle, Benny!

I hope you like the new photos! They're a couple of pretty precious candids that I just had to share with you. It's funny that Dave and I both had the same idea; sneaking a photo of us each sleeping while cuddling Riley. Note how I look like a drooling mess and Riley looks perfect in our photo, while the tables have turned in her photo with Dave! Look at the puddle of drool on his shirt! They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and that the memories we make are priceless.

Talk to you soon, Benny! We love you!

Love, Klaus, Riley, and Dave

—-

How are you supposed to start a letter? I mean, really. "Dearest, Ben" sounds like the beginning of a corny romance novel!

Good-ness have we been busy here! I have been going back and forth to doctor appointments, shit, it feels like every single day for the last couple of weeks. Some for Riley, just to get her checked up on, you know, typical baby appointments, but honestly, most of them have been for me. Don't worry, I'm okay, I know that sounds ominous when it's written in a letter. Dave just suggested it since it's been nearly four months since "the incident which shall not be named" and my energy just still isn't quite back to normal. I'm worlds better, I didn't think it was necessary since my bad days are so few and far between, but you know Dave, he always has to make sure I'm okay.

Anyways, after a bunch of tests, it turns out I'm totally fine, it's just that my body is taking an unusually slow amount of time to "recover from its trauma". Of course, the doctor only knows about my past drug use, and homelessness, and how I struggled with my weight, since I can't exactly explain the whole "ghost thing", but regardless, I'm fine and will continue to get better, it will simply take some time. Honestly though, 99.99% of the time I feel great. It's just those few instances where I seem to struggle.

Oh, speaking of doctors appointments and my weight, guess what! According to their scale I've gained like nine pounds! Dave's doughboy plan is working! I keep teasing him and saying no wonder I have days where I have no energy, he's making me fat! Of course I'm only joking, and according to the doctor I still have a ways to go until I'm at a healthy BMI, but I'm happy to say that at least I'm finally heading in the right direction, and it's all thanks to Dave.

Speaking of Dave, he and I had our first fight the other day. I'm telling you Ben, it almost ended us. You won't believe what he did to Riley. He bought, get this, _off brand_ baby food, can you believe that?! He tried to defend his actions, saying the "quality is just as good, it's just forty cents cheaper" as if you can put a price on my daughters overall well-being and satisfaction! Then he had the audacity to refuse to return it to the store! He's lucky he's cute and good for a whole lot of other things, because he is officially banned from grocery shopping for her alone ever again. You may think I'm joking, I can almost hear you snickering from here, but quit it. I'm dead serious.

On a more positive note for Dave, and perhaps the main thing that redeemed him after that fight...he told me that he loves me. Can you believe that? After I was yelling at him over something as ridiculous as the difference between Gerber and the generic store brand he just laughed in my face, pulled me into his arms, looked me straight in my eyes and told me that he loves me. Again, don't laugh, but I may have cried - only a little! I wasn't a blubbering mess or anything crazy, but I definitely teared up.

I know, I was embarrassed and emotional but I couldn't help myself Ben! I've never been told that by anyone except you before. You know the craziest part? I think he meant it. And what's even more wild than that, is I told him I loved him too, and I was serious. I know four months isn't a long time to be with someone or "fall in love" but Ben, I am absolutely head over heels in love with Dave. I'm in love with him, can you believe it? And he's in love with me. I've never been happier, Ben.

My life has changed so drastically in the past four months, what with the arrival of Riley, and now Dave. I'm actually loved for the first time in my life by someone who isn't my brother and I've got to say, it's a really lovely change, Benny. I can't wait to see where this journey in my life takes me in the next four months, or the four after that. I just hope my good luck doesn't run out and it continues to flourish, because I don't want these beautiful moments or feelings to ever end.

The four month update is coming incredibly late since Riley is actually 18 weeks old, but you already know why since I just explained it above. Before you know it I'll be sending out her five month update! Where does the time go?! Riley is 25.5 inches long and in the 58th percentile for height. She weighs 15 lbs 13 oz and is in the 53rd percentile for weight! She can finally roll from her back to her front, and is becoming increasingly curious about the world around her! And boy, can this kid LAUGH! I am constantly floored that this beautiful, bouncing baby girl is mine! Everyday I wake up with a smile on my face, knowing I have the most precious baby girl in the world. How did I ever get so incredibly lucky?

The pictures this week are to show you the mats on the floor in the living room, see how perfectly it matches? It's crazy isn't it? They'll definitely come in handy, I can't tell you how soft they are. The second picture is pretty cute, I don't know how it happened, but I was doing tummy time on the mats with Riley and I guess we both must've fallen asleep while holding hands. Dave is so good at capturing the best candid moments, look how precious she is. I can't believe how big she's getting Ben. Soon she will be crawling, and walking, and talking! I wish I could press pause and savor her at this size forever. I just adore my little girl so much. I'll talk to you soon, and of course be sure to keep an eye out for our next letter, we love you Benny!

Love, Klaus, Riley and Dave

—

Dearest Bentacles, (ick, now it sounds like some B-Grade pornography!)

Anyways, and just like that the five month update is here! I'll start with the boring bits about Dave and I first, then fill you in on our favorite little pipsqueak.

First let me start off by letting you know that Dave just found out that he is up for a promotion at work. They're finally talking about transferring him to the FBI. This is huge, it's something he's been talking about since before we started dating, and he is extremely excited. It would be more income, which is great. The only part neither of us like is the change in hours. This is definitely not a nine-to-five career. Although the work is challenging and exciting, they assure him that supposedly he would still have the opportunity to spend plenty of quality time with us; his family. I certainly hope so anyway, because I've grown quite accustomed to us being together as often as possible. The idea of him suddenly not being there all the time anymore, well, it kind of scares me Ben. Don't tell Dave I said this though. He's so excited about it, I don't want to make him feel like he shouldn't accept it or feel guilty when he does, that wouldn't be fair of me. I love him and don't want my own selfish wishes to ruin his dreams. He has worked so hard for this Ben, and I am so happy for him, and so incredibly proud of him. Just, I know Riley and I will miss seeing him so often. As long as he's happy, and I still have him to cuddle up against at night, I'll be perfectly happy too.

As for me, there are no real changes going on. I've managed to gain another five pounds, which is great, I'm still heading in the right direction, but I still have a long way to go. I'm still not operating at 100%, but I know I will get there with more time. The last few days have been kind of bad for me. Nothing crazy, I promise, I've just been a little extra tired and napping a lot. Honestly, I think it's the stress over the promotion. Maybe it's my brain trying to force Dave to spend time with me, since I know soon we won't have unlimited cuddle fest's whenever I want anymore. Of course, you know Dave, since I've not been feeling my best recently, he's been tending to Riley whenever he isn't curled up beside me rubbing my back or just holding me. I don't know how I'll manage if I'm having a bad day and he's not there, Ben. Of course I'll do my fatherly duties and take care of my daughter, she will never suffer, I just...I'm really going to miss him. I'm okay though, really. Riley and I will both continue to be okay, and Dave will do great as an FBI agent. This just means I'll have to smother him more with my affection whenever he is home.

Speaking of Dave, and family, and stress, he's taking Riley and I to meet his sisters later this week, and I am so nervous, Ben. I don't get along with my own family (apart from you) how am I supposed to get along with his? I don't know them, and they don't know me. Family is required to love one another, and my own family hates me, who's to say his family won't, too? They have no obligations to me. I'm scared that if they hate me they'll try to convince Dave to leave me. What's even worse than them not liking me though, is what if they don't like Riley? Dave keeps saying I'm working myself up over nothing, and keeps trying to reassure me that they'll love Riley and me, but I can't help the fireball of fear that burns within my stomach at the thought.

Anyways, that's enough about me, let me give you the content you actually opened this letter to read:

Riley is five months old today! Not much has changed since her last update, but hey, I am perfectly okay with that! Maybe she's finally listening to her dear old dad and slowing down on growing up, I sure wish she would! Riley is amazed by simple daily tasks, like putting things in the refrigerator, or heating up a bottle. She is not a fan of going on walks in her stroller, but she LOVES going on her evening stroll in the boba wrap that Dave just bought her! She also loves cold and windy weather, which she did not get from me or Dave! Haha! We love this kid more and more each day, and find that with every new day brings us such a beautiful reward!

I'm sorry I didn't attach any new photos this week, I just haven't had a chance to go to the store to print them out. I promise to send you extra photos in my next letter! We love you Benny.

Love, Klaus, Riley and Dave

—-

"Dave!" Klaus called from the living room, the pitch in his voice was hitched and frantic, "Dave, hurry!"

Dave's ears perked at the sound of his boyfriend's distressed sounding call. He didn't know what was happening, but whatever it was, it sounded important. Dave stopped brushing his teeth to follow the sounds of his voice.

"Klaus, what is it, is everything okay?" He called as he ran towards the living room.

"Just hurry, come quick, you're going to miss it!"

When Dave skidded to a stop at the threshold of the living room his lips instantly curled into a wide toothy grin. Klaus was laying on his stomach on the floor with his arms outstretched towards Riley who was propped up on her hands and knees. She was wobbly, her little limbs still so new to holding the small weight of her tiny baby body upright. Klaus's own smile was beaming, as he watched his precious little ones first real attempts at trying to crawl. She teetered as she picked up one of her hands and tried to take a "step" forward before plopping back down onto her bum.

"Aw, come on princess, I know you can do it! Come on, come to daddy!" Riley's babbles and soft giggles filled the air of the living room, making Dave's heart overflow with warmth at the angelic sound of her voice. Riley adjusted herself so she was propped back up into her unsteady pose and she tried again, picking up one hand and waving it wildly around in the air before laying it down on the mat. "That's it, now the next hand, come to daddy baby girl!"

Dave exhaled a soft giggle at the adorable scene enfolding before him. He hurriedly fished his phone out of his pocket to take as many pictures as he could; he needed to document these precious memories for them to look back on as she got older. Besides, Benny would love to witness these moments, too.

Someone's ears must've been ringing, because Dave's phone started vibrating and when he looked at the caller ID he exhaled a soft gasp, "Oh, speak of the devil, what perfect timing, it's Ben!"

"Oh, answer it, tell him to FaceTime you! He's got to see this!" Klaus exclaimed as he made grabby hands at Riley, "come on baby girl, show off for your uncle Benny!" Dave quickly answered the phone.

"Hey, Ben! Can I FaceTime you? The little lady is trying her hand at crawling—" Dave laughed as he pulled the phone away from his ear. Klaus stifled a giggle when he could hear the shrill sound of Ben's loud shouts of excitement from his position on the floor, "of course we won't let you miss it! Now hang up, I'll FaceTime you!" Dave hung up the phone and instantly Ben was already initiating the FaceTime conversation. He laughed before answering the call, "wow, someone's excited—"

"Cut the chatter and face me towards my beautiful niece!" Ben exclaimed, as he excitedly peered through the phone ducking around to catch sight of Riley. Klaus laughed at his brother's reaction while Dave held up his hands in surrender before turning the phone so that Ben got the full view of Klaus and Riley on the floor. "Oh my god, look at her go! You can do it, Riles! We are all rooting for you!"

Riley rocked back and forth on her hands and knees, a loud squeal escaping her drooling lips as she attempted to crawl towards Klaus again. She lifted her other arm this time, lifting it into the air before setting it back onto the mat where she pinched and squeezed at the soft material of the padded rug, her attention thoroughly captured by the fluffy fabric.

"Uh-oh, we're losing her," Klaus began as he watched his daughter's eyes hyper focus on tightening her fingers against the rug before releasing; grab, release, repeat. "Come on, Riley, look at me! Come to daddy! Come to me princess!"

"Riley, go to your daddy! He's waiting patiently for you sweetie!" Ben called through the phone. Riley's head lifted and looked toward Ben and Dave. She smiled widely when she heard his voice. "Aww, oh my god, I love her so much. I just want to scoop her up and squeeze her." Ben held his hands over his heart as his smile widened, he couldn't help but swoon at the warmth that spread through his chest at the sight of her smiling face.

"Come home to visit and you could, Benny," Klaus teased his brother, "now, come on princess, please crawl for daddy, can you come to me baby girl?" Riley's focus returned to her daddy and her dimples cratered her perfect cherubic cheeks as she smiled. "That's it, daddy loves you princess, come on, come to daddy!"

Klaus made grabby hands at his baby girl, begging Riley to crawl to him. She readied herself, her tiny hand leaving the mat and inching forward. Everyone exclaimed their praise as she raised her other arm, expecting her to mimic her previous action, when instead she suddenly throttled herself forward into a lunge, effectively launching herself towards her father. Klaus darted forward to steady her so she wouldn't slam her face into the mats. He laughed as he scooped her into his loving arms, pinching her pudgy baby thighs delicately. She squealed, kicking her legs out as she reached her hands towards his face, exploring his features with her tiny fingers. Klaus smiled, pulling her hand into his own and kissing her open palm with a loud mwah!

"Well, at this rate I think she may learn how to fly before she crawls," Klaus laughed while he wrangled Riley's giggling and squirming body as she tried to escape from his grasp, "nope, sorry sweet pea, we can't play anymore, we've got to get you ready for the day, you're meeting your daddy Davey's sisters today."

"Ohhh, todays the day, huh?" Ben asked. Klaus's smile faded as he hugged Riley against his chest, his fingers delicately working at tucking her rampant curls behind her ear, "don't be nervous Klaus, they're going to love you. And who doesn't love Riley?"

"That's what I keep trying to tell him! They're already in love with them, and they haven't even met them yet," Dave walked over and sat behind Klaus on the rug, his legs flanking either side of him as he wrapped his arm around his chest pulling his boyfriend into himself, "They say all the time they feel like they do though because of how often I brag about you two," Dave peppered Klaus's shoulder with kisses before nuzzling his chin there, kissing his jaw and speaking softly into his ear, "trust me, darlin. What's not to like? They're going to love you and Riley, I promise."

The couple said their goodbyes to Ben before Dave helped Klaus get up off of the floor. He could sense Klaus's fear and anxiety; he knew his boyfriend well enough to know when he was uncomfortable or uneasy about a situation, but he needed to help put his mind at ease. Dave pulled them into his arms, enveloping the beautiful pair into a hug. He pulled away, leaving one hand on Klaus's waist as he gently stroked Riley's back, leaning in and kissing her temple before kissing her father's.

"They're going to love you both just as much as I do, darlin. I promise." Klaus's lips twitched into a subtle smile before fading. Deep down he knew that Dave and his brother were probably right, that he had nothing to worry about, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something would go horribly wrong. Klaus laced his fingers into the curls at the base of Dave's neck with a single bob of the head, "it's going to go perfectly, you'll see." Dave kissed his forehead, earning Klaus to lean into his touch, seeking his assurance.

"I know," he started as he retracted his hands, adjusting Riley on his hip and running his fingers in a circular pattern on her back. Riley smiled at Klaus, her pure love instantly warmed his soul, "I know you're right. It's just, I'm sorry. I just can't help but feel this way."

"You don't have to apologize, Klaus. I understand why you're worried. Just, trust me, I would never put you in a situation that could even slightly pose a risk for you or Riley. You're both going to be fine, and we don't have to stay long. Just pop in and say hello, that's it. If you still feel uncomfortable we can say we need to leave. Deal?" Klaus exhaled a sigh as he nodded in understanding. He felt bad that he felt this way, he felt guilty that he made Dave have to potentially cut time with his family short on his own selfish behalf, but Klaus's anxiety was at an all time high just thinking about today. He buried his face against Dave's neck, breathing in the comforting scent of his cologne and feeling his warmth against his skin. Dave smiled sadly as he hugged his love, planting a kiss into his curls.

After a few moments of Dave just holding Klaus, whispering words of reassurance into his ear, they parted ways to ready themselves for the day. Dave went into the bathroom to finish brushing his teeth, while Klaus brought Riley into his bedroom to get them both dressed. It took him much longer than he anticipated to decide on an outfit for Riley; while he knew she looked perfect in whatever she wore, he wanted to make sure the outfit would be perfect for Dave's family's first impression of his daughter. He eventually settled on an adorable romper; the top was frilly with black and white thin horizontal stripes, while the bottom was solid burgundy. It was an outfit that Dave bought her, and he had to admit, seeing it on her she looked absolutely adorable in it.

"Look at you, cutie! Daddy Dave has pretty darn good fashion sense. Who's my little model baby?" Klaus held Riley up and kissed her forehead as she giggled and sucked on her lower lip. A trail of drool began to dribble down her chin and Klaus was quick to wipe it away with his fingers before rubbing it on his own shirt. He smiled, kissing her chubby cheek before settling her back down into her crib. Klaus looked down at his own physique taking in his disheveled appearance. He had already showered and brushed his teeth for the day, but was still wearing his pajamas from the night before. He exhaled a sigh before turning his attention to his closet.

He quickly scrolled through his articles of clothing, fully dissatisfied with his selection: too bright, too dull, too fluffy, too gothy. He finally settled on a simple black scoop neck shirt he thought would be okay, but as he pulled the fabric over his head he realized it no longer fit him, it was simply too small. Klaus had gained nearly fifteen pounds in the last five months, which was excellent for his health, but terrible for his wardrobe. He groaned as he plopped himself onto his bed and buried his face into his palms. What the hell could he wear? His only "appropriate" clothes no longer fit him, he'd gained too much weight. Klaus curled up on the bed and draped his hand over his stomach as he pinched his eyes shut. He knew he wasn't, in fact, he still needed to gain a good amount of weight, but he suddenly felt bloated and fat. Klaus rolled onto his back, bending his knees up as he dug the heels of his palms into his eyes. He wanted to cry. He knew it was silly, and at any other time this wouldn't have even bothered him, but it just had to happen the one day he had something so important to him happening. He inhaled a sharp breath, his lips quivering as his anxiety got the best of him and he slowly started to break down.

"Klaus?" Dave opened the door, his eyebrows furrowing with concern as he took in the distraught appearance of his boyfriend, "what is it, what's wrong? Are you okay?" He took a seat on the bed and laid a hand on Klaus's shoulder. Klaus rolled over, burying his face in Dave's lap as his shoulders shook with a silent sob. Dave rubbed his back and cooed to him to calm him down, "darlin, what is it?"

"I—nothing fits," Klaus sniffled as he rolled back onto his side and looked at Dave with teary eyes, "my clothes don't fit, I don't have anything to wear." Dave smiled sadly at Klaus as he pulled him upright and into his arms.

"Oh, Klaus, it's okay," he kissed his forehead as he wiped the tears away from his cheeks, running his thumbs beneath his eyes before he cupped his face in his palms. Dave spoke softly, "is that all? All these tears? Darlin, that's okay. Don't worry about that. This is a good thing, you're getting so healthy, darlin. I'm so incredibly proud of you, and all of the progress you've made. Don't let this bother you. How about you wear one of my outfits, how does that sound?"

Klaus's lips wobbled as he inhaled a shaky breath. "Okay." He whispered softly.

"Aw, darlin, it's okay. Shh, you're going to be fine. Besides," Dave leaned in and spoke into Klaus's ear, the action causing goosebumps to prickle his skin, "I think you'll look damn sexy in that navy v-neck I just got."

"Really?" Klaus asked softly, wiping at his tears. Dave smiled, running his fingers through his hair with a broad smile.

"Absolutely, darlin. You look beautiful in anything. Now, come on, cheer up. Everything is going to be fine."

Dave helped Klaus pick out an ensemble from his clothing. They decided the blue v-neck was perfect; it fit him a little loosely, but the fabric was soft and smelled like Dave. He paired it with black jeans and his favorite boots. Klaus smiled when he looked at himself in the mirror. He started his day feeling so uneasy, so uncomfortable in his own skin; but with Dave's encouraging words of love and assurance, he finally started to feel the way Dave always told him he was: Beautiful.

—-

The little family was settled in Dave's truck on the way to meet his siblings and their children. It was a long drive, as they were meeting at one of his sisters' houses who lived about an hour outside of town. Klaus was staring out the window watching the scenery pass him by. He was tapping his foot anxiously as he fiddled with Dave's dog tags within his hands. He was still so nervous, he'd hoped his anxiety would have begun to fade away by now, but as the vehicle stretched past each mile he felt like it just continued to get worse. He closed his eyes for a moment, just taking a deep breath and trying to calm his own pin firing nerves.

"Remind me again, who is who?" Klaus asked to distract himself as he settled himself deeper into his seat.

"Sure, we are on our way to my sister Emily's house. Emily is the oldest of my two little sisters. She'll be easy to spot, she's the only other one with blonde curly hair like me. She's the mom of Carter, her little boy and his sister Brooke - they're both 18 months old; they're fraternal twins."

"Twins?" Klaus asked, "god, I couldn't imagine. My hands are plenty full with that hooligan." He gestured towards the backseat where Riley was peacefully asleep in her car seat. Dave chuckled as he nodded.

"Oh yeah, and they're a handful, trust me," he started before continuing, "then my other sister is Danielle, she hates her name though, and prefers that we call her Dani. She's my youngest sister, her little girl's name is Eliza. She's 9 months old, so a little bit closer to Riley's age." Klaus hummed in response before he closed his eyes again, tipping his head back against the headrest.

"Hmm they sound lovely." He voiced softly.

"Oh, they are. My sisters are great, they're going to adore you two, and the kids? Well, they're a lively group, but they're amazing, you'll love them—" Dave glanced at Klaus and realized his eyes were closed, he only hoped he was okay. He knew his energy still hadn't quite returned to normal just yet, and while overall he was doing so well, he still had his "bad days". Dave couldn't help but worry that today would be one since he was clearly suffering from his anxieties. He reached across the cabin, lacing his fingers within Klaus's and gave it a gentle squeeze, "you alright?"

"Hm, M'fine," Klaus opened his eyes and turned his attention towards Dave with a soft smile, "I'm just trying to relax; you know, calm my nerves."

"You tired?" Dave asked but Klaus shook his head.

"Nah, not really. I'm fine," Dave didn't look impressed. Klaus noticed this and was quick to reassure him, "I promise, I'm okay. You know me, I'm just weird. Everything is fine, I just gotta psych myself up."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive."

—-

Finally, after what should have only taken an hour but quickly morphed into closer to an hour and a half due to traffic, the little family pulled into the gravel driveway of Dave's sister's home. Dave parked the vehicle, giving Klaus's hand another quick squeeze before exiting the truck and making his way around the side to grab Riley out of the back seat. Klaus got out of the truck and stared up at the home.

He noted it was two stories, with a quaint little porch with two cute old fashioned rocking chairs. The whimsical sound of a wind chime caught his attention and helped to ease his racing thoughts. The home was cute, welcoming and looked like the perfect site to house a loving family. He only hoped that family would find it in their heart to love him and his daughter as well. Dave wrapped his arm around Klaus's waist effectively pulling him closely against his side and kissed his cheek.

"Ready?" He smiled, vividly displaying his excitement on his features. Klaus returned the smile with a nod, although both gestures were brimming with uncertainty.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Dave sent him a lopsided grin as he pressed their foreheads together, he moved his hand from his waist and his fingertips gently started massaging at the tense muscles at the back of Klaus's neck.

"They're going to love you both, you'll see."

The little family approached the front door; it was a deep navy blue with a bronze handle and a beautiful, intricately designed oval shaped window. Dave rang the doorbell and Klaus felt his palms begin to sweat, his heartbeat picking up as his anxiety raced to an all time high. Dave sensed his fear and wrapped his hand within his own, giving him a gentle squeeze and grounding him, reminding him that he wasn't alone, he had Dave and Riley, and that he would be okay. The two lovers exchanged a warm smile when the door unlocked and burst open.

"Davey!" A woman with locks of swirling blonde curls, bright blue eyes and a smile as broad as her lovely face opened the door, she had a brunette curly headed little boy attached at her hip. "Oh my goodness, it's so wonderful to see you, please! Please, won't you both come in!"

Dave carried Riley in her carrier in one hand and gently tugged Klaus through the entryway with the other. The woman threw her hands around Dave's neck and gave him a giant hug. He smiled, kissing her cheek before she pulled away and her gaze met Klaus's. He felt himself shrink back ever so slightly, unsure of what to expect.

"Are you the famous Klaus my brother won't shut up about?" She asked before wrapping her arms around him in a bone crushing embrace. "It is so wonderful to finally meet you! I can't tell you how happy you make my brother, he is so lucky to have met you!"

Lucky to have met me, Klaus thought; wasn't she aware that he was the lucky one? Not her brother.

"Oh, I assure you, it is _me_ who is lucky to have met Dave." She smiled pulling away before cupping his shoulders in her palms as she looked him up and down.

"My, Davey you have great taste. He is a cutie!" She winked and Klaus's cheeks flushed at her notions with a nervous giggle. "Aw, no need to be nervous, we are all family here. That means you too, and—oh my goodness!" She released her hands from Klaus and turned her attention towards Riley, "oh my god, she is the cutest little lady! Riley, right? My, what a beautiful little girl!" Dave held up Riley's carrier so she could get a better view. Klaus's smile spread wide as he watched the interaction. Dave's sister stroked her cheek admiring her dimples and her curls before taking his daughter's tiny hand into her own.

"Isn't she perfect? She looks just like her daddy." Dave said as he shot a loving smile towards Klaus who was beaming as his anxieties quickly began to melt away.

"I don't know, Davey, she has your eyes and your dimples." Klaus winked and his sister laughed.

"She does! How perfect, it's like you two were meant to be! Sweet little Riley looks like the two of you!"

"Well, she is _ours_ after all. I'm daddy #1 and Dave is daddy #2! She's our child together in our hearts." Klaus said softly, earning smiles from Dave and his sister. Dave grabbed ahold of Klaus's hand again, leaning in and kissing him on his forehead before kissing his lips.

"That's beautiful. What a beautiful little family, I'm so happy for you three! Welcome to the family." She smiled at Klaus hugging him again before shifting her son on her hip.

"Oh, how silly of me! Klaus, Riley, this is my son Carter. His sister Brookie is in the other room with her daddy. Come on, let's go and introduce you two to everyone and then we can all go outside. Dani's husband is grilling up some burgers on the grill. I hope you'll have time to stay and eat, Dave said you may not be able to stick around too long."

"Oh, I think we can make some time, this is a special evening, after all." Klaus said with a smile. Dave rubbed his back reassuringly, proud of the steps Klaus was making.

"Wonderful! Come on, I'll show you two around and introduce you to everyone!"

Emily showed Klaus around her home, making sure he knew the layout and where the bathrooms were since they agreed to stick around for a couple of hours before moving to introduce him to the rest of the family. First she introduced him to her husband, Joe and their daughter Brooke. Joe was a tall muscular guy, definitely was familiar with a gym with a bright smile and a goofy personality, while Brooke was a quiet reserved little lady; tucking her face into Joe's shoulder when she was shown Klaus and Riley.

"Aww, no need to be so shy pumpkin, they're our family," Joe cooed as he gently patted her back, "she's just shy at first, I tell you what, though, once she gets to know you two, good luck, she can be quite the handful!"

Next Klaus met Dani and her daughter Eliza. Dani was just as sweet and bubbly as Emily had been, and Eliza - wow, she was a giggly baby! Arms flinging all about as she wildly screamed and laughed in her mommy's arms. Her husband Robbie was a man of average height, but a little more stocky with more fluff on his bones. He was incredibly sweet and welcoming, quickly abandoning his post at the grill to come and swoon over how precious Riley was.

"Oh my god, look at those curls! May I hold her?" He asked excitedly. Klaus and Dave exchanged a look and Klaus smiled as he nodded, giving the man the okay. Dave unhooked Riley from her carrier and handed the little princess over to Robbie.

"Hey there gorgeous," he stated in a baby toned voice, "I'm your uncle Robbie! I've heard so much about you and your daddy! I'm so thrilled to finally meet you both!" He hugged her as she giggled and smiled, her fingers delicately fiddling with his beard. The man laughed, a deep sound earning a high pitched squeal from Riley. "I think she likes me!"

After introductions were complete, Robbie went back to the grill to finish cooking as Klaus and Dave sat around the cozy outdoor furniture on Emily's porch and talked with his sisters, catching up, getting to know each other better, and just laughing and enjoying one another's company. Klaus had to admit, Dave's family was wonderful. He felt silly, in retrospect for allowing his anxiety to take hold of him with such a vice like grip, making him dread over this encounter; worrying himself thin. He saw now that he worried himself over nothing. Dave was right, as he always was.

They all gathered around the dining room table to eat their meals. Klaus, while doing considerably better and able to eat larger portions, still couldn't eat too much. He had a burger and a small side salad with a glass of Dani's home made freshly squeezed lemonade. They all sat around the table, telling jokes and funny stories about their experiences with parenthood. Klaus shared a few silly moments, but overall he didn't say much, he was enjoying just listening to Dave and his family banter back and forth. He especially loved listening to Dave bragging about all of his wonderful memories and funny moments he's made with Riley. He felt his heart swell with love and his cheeks flush at seeing just how much Dave truly loved his daughter. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to have found someone like Dave to share his life and his daughters life with. He loved him so much, and knew that the feeling was mutual. Klaus only hoped he would be lucky enough to spend every day of his life creating beautiful memories like this with Dave by his side.

Everything was delicious, Klaus was sure to thank them all for their hospitality, and for the wonderful meal, as well as ask Dani for her lemonade recipe. After eating, everyone congregated in the living room to finally let the babies all get together to play. Klaus was beginning to get tired, his energy still not quite up to snuff after everything that happened all those months ago, and so he sat on the couch to relax, allowing Dave to take the reins so he could sit back and watch the magic happen.

Dave sat on the floor with Riley, his sisters to either side as they let the babies all sit in a circle in front of them. Their tiny faces all lit up with excitement and wonder. Carter crawled over to Riley immediately and took her hand within his own. Dave and his family all were certain to take plenty of pictures, documenting these precious moments. Klaus smiled as he watched the adorable interaction. Riley tried and failed a few times to crawl herself, watching as the other babies so easily were able to do-so, she tried to mimic their motions. She grew frustrated when she just couldn't do it and started to sniffle before Dave scooped her into his arms and cradled her to his chest.

"Aw, it's okay sweetheart, you'll get there soon enough!" He kissed her forehead as she snuggled herself against his neck.

After a while Dave's sister's all took turns holding Riley, bouncing her on their laps and making her smile and laugh. Klaus was resting his head on his hand as he sat on the couch while he watched with a smile on his face. He was just so happy that everyone loved her so much, and hearing his daughters angelic laughter made him so incredibly happy. He truly felt like they were already an integrated part of this family, and he couldn't help but think how he couldn't be any happier if he tried.

More time passed and Klaus's eyelids were growing heavy, he found himself struggling to stay conscious for much longer. His head would dip before he would right himself, his eyelashes fluttering as he adjusted so he could focus and stay awake. Brooke, Emily's daughter, had finally opened up and was starting to showcase her needy personality. She was tugging at his jeans trying to climb into his lap, but Klaus was just so exhausted he wasn't even able to acknowledge her presence. Dave's sister Dani noticed him struggling to stay awake, and quickly scooped her little niece Brooke into her arms so she wouldn't disturb Klaus before she brought his lack of energy to Dave's attention.

"Hey, Klaus is looking pretty tired, is he okay?" Dave peered at Klaus who's head bobbed again before he sat up on the couch, his eyes hooded and filled with fatigue. Dave smiled sadly before looking back at his sister.

"Yeah," he spoke softly, "he was pretty sick a few months ago, he still hasn't fully recovered all of his energy quite yet. He gets tired easily. I hate to cut this short, but he should rest, I think it's about time we all mosey on home."

"Aw, the poor thing. Would he want to lay down for a bit here? You know you're all welcome to stay as long as you'd like." She offered as she patted Dave's shoulder. He smiled, squeezing her hand in return.

"I know, we appreciate it, but I think we should go home. Thanks sis, we had a great time. It's always lovely to spend time with you all."

"Same goes for you, Klaus, and Riley too. Don't be strangers, okay?" They exchanged a smile as Dave leaned forward hugging her quickly.

"We wouldn't dream of it."

Dave pulled Riley into his arms and approached the couch, sitting beside Klaus who was already nearly asleep. He leaned forward, cupping Klaus's cheek in his hand and kissed his forehead. Klaus's eyes fluttered and he hummed as he smiled at Dave.

"You're beat, darlin. Let's get you home, yeah?" Klaus smiled tiredly as Dave wrapped his arm around his waist, helping Klaus stand. He held him for a moment to steady him. Klaus hated that he felt this way. He was having such a good time, of course, leave it to his own weakness to ruin a perfect evening. He was ready to have his energy back, to be himself again. He leaned into Dave's touch when he wrapped his arms around him in a hug. Klaus exhaled a tired sigh, he was happy his day turned out to be so wonderful as a whole, but more than anything, he was just so ready to go home and curl up in Dave's arms and fall asleep.

They said their goodbyes, Dave's sisters all hugged Klaus, thanking him for coming, and telling him how happy they were to have gotten the chance to finally meet him.

"We should do this more often! If it's easier, we could come to you guys next time. It's been such a pleasure spending time with you Klaus, and my goodness, Riley is just perfect!"

"Thank you, you're all too kind. This was lovely, really. I'd love that." He smiled as she hugged him again.

They finished saying their goodbyes and Dave led Klaus out to the truck, helping him climb into the passenger seat and buckling him in. He situated Riley's carrier in the back and the two men waved goodbye to Dave's family one more time as they pulled out of the driveway.

The sun was beginning to set, leaving a stunning golden afterglow that lit the tree line that flanked the road to either side as they started their journey towards their own home. The quiet sound of Riley suckling on her pacifier as she slept, and the soft music of the radio were the only noises filling the cabin of the truck. Klaus was exhausted, but he was filled with an overwhelming sensation of love and contentment, a smile tugging at his features. Dave intertwined his fingers with Klaus's, earning the tired man to glance at him. Dave's smile was warm, and full of adoration for Klaus.

"I had fun." Klaus admitted as he ran his thumb over the skin of Dave's thumb. Dave squeezed his hand as he spoke.

"I'm glad," Dave pulled his hand to his lips and kissed the delicate skin there before settling their hands back down against the seat, "see, what'd I tell you. You had nothing to worry about. They love you! And Riley!"

"I should have known I could trust you. You were right, I adore them all."

"And they adored you." The couple exchanged a loving smile before Dave returned his focus to the road and Klaus leaned his head against the headrest. The light jostling of the vehicle and the soothing ambient sounds were beginning to effectively lull him to sleep. Klaus closed his eyes, gently tightening his grip on Dave's hand.

"I love you, Dave." Klaus said firmly, his head shifting towards his boyfriend as he peeled his tired green eyes open into meager slits. Dave smiled at Klaus, squeezing his hand in return.

"I love you, too."

Klaus fell asleep with his beautiful baby girl sleeping soundly in the backseat, and his wonderful boyfriend stroking the skin of his hand. He was happy, knowing that he was finally a part of a family who truly cared about him. More than anything, he was happy because he now knew in his mind without a shadow of a doubt that he was finally, truly _loved_.

—

**Authors Note:** _Thank you again to my trusty commenter, I am so happy that you continue to enjoy this story! I'll let you in on a little secret, I actually have 14 chapters completed for this story (there are 17 chapters total) but upon a twist I have added...there WILL now be a SEQUEL for this! So be sure to subscribe to me if you wish to get updates for whenever I post that as well!_

_As always, if you are reading along I would adore to hear from you! Comments make me so happy, and with everything happening in the world nowadays we could all use a little positivity!_

_I hope that you all are well, staying safe, and keeping yourselves entertained and happy! Do not let the lockdown blues get you down! We are all in this together! Stay safe, my friends! :)_


	12. Spill The Beans, I Need Deets!

A little over three weeks passed by after Klaus and Riley were finally able to meet Dave's family. They were certain to stay in touch; having phone conversations almost nightly, and exchanging plenty of adorable photos of each of their beautiful babies. Dave's sister Dani, her husband Robbie and their daughter Eliza resided in a small house just a little over thirty minutes down the road from Klaus and Dave's, and they'd even met up for breakfast once or twice since their first initial meeting. Klaus was so happy that Dave's family had been every bit as warm and welcoming as Dave promised them to be. He was overjoyed being inducted into Dave's family, he and his daughter welcomed with open arms. He couldn't help but get a little choked up anytime he thought about it, though.

Klaus's own family never cared this deeply about him, apart from Ben. He'd never been too close to the others; Luther had always been too caught up with being their father's perfect little soldier, he could never find the need or want to busy himself with associating with Klaus, their fathers utmost failure, and biggest disappointment. Allison's budding film career certainly kept her busy, far too busy to find time to reach out and make sure her weakest and arguably shittiest brother was okay. Although, learning his sister had a daughter from a tabloid and not from his sister herself definitely hurt Klaus's spirit quite a bit. He guessed he shouldn't hold it against Allison, though. Klaus left - he was the one who abandoned his family - but he had his reasons. Now, with the arrival of his own daughter, and keeping the knowledge of her existence from his siblings, he could sympathize and understand why his sister would want to keep Claire a secret from _him_. She just wanted what was best for her daughter, keeping her junkie uncle as far away from her as she could was probably the right move. Five was simply too caught up in his calculations to pry himself away from his chalk board to check up on him, and Vanya? Well, Vanya was just so quiet and reserved, while Klaus had always been a whirlwind of a train wreck. He couldn't blame her for avoiding him altogether. Each sibling had their rightful reasons to steer clear of Klaus, and he understood it. Shit, if the roles had been reversed, he would have done the same.

Diego, on the other hand, his absence within Klaus's life _hurt_. He and Diego had always been close. Ben, Klaus and Diego were the "even Stevens" group and thick as thieves. Growing up under the "strict structured living" their father provided, or as Klaus preferred to call it - _his abuse_ \- Klaus always knew he could turn to Ben or Diego to find refuge. All of his nights locked within the mausoleum, or when his father would perform longer private training regimens with him, trying to get him to better his abilities both within his powers and his physical strength, always left Klaus battered and oftentimes broken. He remembered one night in particular after Reginald focused on his physical strengths, or rather, lack there of when Klaus limped into Diego's bedroom, metaphorically licking his wounds and begging for comfort. Diego was asleep, as were the rest of his siblings, but Klaus just needed someone to hold him and remind him that he was okay - that he was loved.

He was in pain, and simply far too weak to make it to his own room, and well, Diego's was the closest. So he opened his brother's door and quietly made his way inside. It was dark, and Klaus was scared, but he just needed to seek his brother's comfort. When he made it to Diego's bedside, he gently pressed his trembling fingers against his brother's shoulder, startling him awake. Diego was furious - _at first_ \- until he took in Klaus's bruised, bloodied and downright battered appearance. Diego's entire energy and expression shifted instantaneously as he wrapped his brother in a hug and pulled him into his bed beside himself, burying his shivering form beneath a mound of blankets while he rocked him within his arms until Klaus cried himself to sleep. That night Diego promised Klaus that he would always have his back; that he would always be there for him, to protect him, keep him safe, and that he would never, _ever_ let anything bad happen to him again, and he meant every single word—at first.

But as the years passed by, and Klaus's issues with his father worsened, so much so that he couldn't bear to stay under the same roof with the man a moment longer, that when he left, Diego's promise slowly started to fade away. He was always still there in the background, offering his support should Klaus ever need it, but as his own self hatred towards himself escalated, only amplifying his own self destructive behaviors, Klaus should have known that his brother's support would eventually run out.

Unfortunately for Klaus, the day his brother's support and love ended would forever be ingrained within his mind—but the worst part? Klaus knew he had no one to blame for it but himself.

It was a cold night, late, or rather early at around three in the morning close to the holidays. He nor his siblings had ever celebrated such occasions while under their fathers oppressive thumb, but while he was out on the streets by himself, he still couldn't help but feel overly caught up in the holiday emotions, and therefore sadness at being all alone with no one to turn to or share his time with. Lights were brightly gleaming all around him, cheerful melodies wafting throughout the atmosphere, but all Klaus could focus on was how dark and abysmal his life truly was, and honestly, always had been. He was sad, trapped within a deep depression, and downright lonely; his only company being himself. Truthfully, even Klaus hated his own company. As he trudged through a park so brightly lit with lights he felt his retinas burning; although, he wasn't sure anymore if they only burned from his own tears, Klaus was suddenly overwhelmed with such a strong desire to just make himself disappear—permanently.

So, he did - or at least, he tried. He scrounged as much money as he could and bought an over abundance of heroin and cocaine. Once he had it within his hands, Klaus returned to the park and curled up beneath the Christmas tree where he proceeded to flood his veins with an alarming amount of what he always used to refer to as "rush hour" but now only hoped would bring him "sweet dreams". He mixed the fatal concoction within the viles before pushing the plunger, releasing the toxins into his bloodstream. Klaus's eyelashes fluttered as he felt his body relax. He laid down on the snow covered ground and stared dreamily up into the brightly shimmering branches of the Christmas tree—and he _smiled_.

"Finally", he thought, "I'm ready to say goodbye."

Sadly, Klaus's dream to disappear never came to fruition that night. He cursed himself for choosing such a public place to attempt to take his own life, but he'd always been a romantic at heart. When he woke up in a hospital, his body beyond any former understanding of weakness he'd ever felt, he couldn't help but to cry. He didn't want to be there, he didn't want to be awake, _he didn't want to be alive anymore_.

Yet, there he was, alive and infinitely unwell.

He had no knowledge of how he'd wound up in the hospital to begin with, nor any recollection of how long he'd been there, but as his agonizingly weary eyes scanned the room, he was surprised to be met with his brother's big brown gaze. Diego, however, didn't look happy to see him in the least bit. As it turned out, Diego was who found Klaus nearly unconscious and barely clinging onto life in that park. He was the one who rushed him to the hospital; holding his cold, limp hand within his own and begging for him to hold on, just please, hold on. Diego was the only reason Klaus was still alive. And honestly, both men were angry about it; Klaus because he didn't want this, he never asked to be found, he only wanted his life to end. And Diego? He was pissed at Klaus for "yet another overdose", his sixth in the last eight month span. He was furious he continued to pump his body full of such poisons.

Klaus could still vividly remember their argument; Diego telling Klaus he needed to stop this, cut the bullshit, and get his life together. He remembered telling Diego to drop his holier than thou attitude, and leave him alone; telling him if he didn't like his life choices, didn't like _him_, then he could leave, and never speak to him again…

He remembered Diego telling him that the next time this would happen, that he would leave him there to die. Ironic, really, as that had been all Klaus ever wanted to begin with. He was sure to tell his brother that he would be doing the world a huge favor, and even thanked him, informing him he would hold him to his promise. Diego was sure to tell Klaus to stay the hell away from him, and made it painfully clear that he never wanted to see his junkie brother ever again.

And so, he never did.

That was over a year and a half ago now, but the wound it created within Klaus's chest was still fresh and ached with a nagging pain. No one ever learned the truth about that night; that Klaus's overdose had been the farthest thing from an accident. Not Diego, nor Dave, not even Ben, and Klaus intended to keep it that way. The truth behind his secret died that night, unlike him. Besides, it was in the past, and Klaus intended to leave it there. In retrospect, he should be happy; Diego _did_ save his life, after all. And while he was pissed at the time, as he was unable to see the light at the end of his dark and dreary tunnel, Klaus was now thankful for his brother's actions. Had he died that night; had Diego never saved him, Klaus would have never had Riley, nor would he have ever met Dave. He owed it to Diego that he finally was given such an overwhelmingly beautiful life. Something Klaus never expected he would ever be able to obtain.

"Come on Riley, come to daddy Davey! Come on sweetie!" Klaus was pulled from his thoughts at the sound of his boyfriend's voice. The little family were all lying on the floor in their living room. What started as a simple evening of tummy time, quickly morphed into a hopeful game of trying to get Riley to crawl to one of her daddy's for the first time. Dave was sat on the far end of the living room opposite Klaus, and Riley was plopped on her belly, fisting a miscellaneous toy in her grasp between her two daddy's. Klaus was laying on his side watching the moment unfold. He was smiling, but his eyes felt heavy, and he couldn't help but feel thoroughly exhausted. In fact, Klaus had been feeling rather out of sorts a lot as of late.

It all started nearly two weeks ago, when Dave broke the news to him that he got the job; he was going to become an FBI agent, and that he would be starting in the beginning of July—merely a few short months away. Klaus was happy for Dave, of course. He could see the joy and excitement on his face as he pulled him into his arms, and spun him excitedly around the room. He was proud of Dave, and excited for this new big step in his career, but Klaus couldn't help but feel sad about it, too. He knew that his practically unlimited time with Dave would come to an end, he knew his schedule would change, and make it harder to get to see or spend any time with his love. He knew he would undoubtedly miss Dave being there _with_ him and _for_ him whenever he needed him or wanted him the most. He hadn't even started yet, and already the rigorous training they kept sending him away for was severely cutting into Klaus's time with his love. He already felt his absence within his life. He already felt like a huge piece of himself was missing; his strength, his savior, his soul.

It didn't help that Klaus's weeks were keeping him thoroughly busy; running errands, grocery shopping, helping Dave as much as he could to prepare for his new job. Dave had been away for a few days, out of town for some seminar he needed to attend for his new position, leaving Klaus all alone with Riley. That in itself wouldn't typically be too big of a deal, except for the fact that Klaus quickly realized that without Dave's warm and undeniably soothing presence; especially at night, Klaus found it rather difficult to fall asleep at night. If it wasn't for the fact that he simply couldn't get comfortable without Dave's warm body pressed against his own, then the nightmares that would plague him in his absence certainly did a fine job at keeping Klaus awake throughout the night. It was incredibly taxing, this week certainly turned into the worst week Klaus had undoubtedly had in a very long time, and Klaus was really feeling the energy sapping effects of it all now that he was taking a moment to simply relax, and enjoy his family for what felt like the first time in so long. Klaus's eyes fluttered minutely as he rested his head against his outstretched arm on the floor.

"Go to Dave, princess." Klaus cooed softly as his eyelids grew heavier.

He was just so tired today...

Suddenly, ten tiny fingers were pressed against his cheeks; prodding at his laxed features, the happy babbling and cooing of his daughter filled his ears as his eyes slowly crept open.

"Did you see it? I can't believe she actually did it!" Dave cheered as he crawled towards Klaus and Riley. Klaus tried to clear his weary mind and focus on Dave's words as he lazily laid his 'HELLO' palm against his daughter's small back.

"Hm," Klaus hummed as he squinted to clear his vision, "see what?"

"Klaus," Dave furrowed his eyebrows as he crawled closer, clasping a hand over Klaus's against Riley's back, "darlin, she crawled. I tried to get her to come to me, but she just B-lined and crawled straight to you." Klaus's heart sank.

"What," he started, eyebrows knitting together in disappointment and anger, "she—she crawled and I missed it?" Dave could see the hurt in his boyfriend's emerald eyes.

"Hey, it's okay," he started as he cupped Klaus's cheek within his palm, "I got it on video, you didn't miss anything—"

"Dave, I just slept through my daughters first major milestone of her development—"

"You're tired, darlin. That's okay, it's been a busy week, a lots been happening, lots of big changes—"

"Yeah, and I just fucking missed the biggest and most important one," Klaus pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes as he laid down flat on his back. He couldn't believe this. How could he miss this? Something so important, something he'd been so excited yet patiently waiting to see? He couldn't believe his own weakness ruined this special moment, stole this beautiful memory away from him. His lips wobbled as a sob escaped his lungs; he couldn't help but feel so incredibly frustrated and angry at himself for failing his baby girl. Dave's lips tugged into a frown as he laid beside Klaus, pulling him into his arms.

"Hey, shh, it's okay," Dave kissed Klaus's forehead as he pushed his curls away from his face before rubbing his thumb beneath his tear drenched eyes, "Riley would understand. This—it's been a rough week for you. You're exhausted, understandably so. I promise, it's okay. You're frustrated, I understand, and you have every right to be, but I promise you; it's okay." Klaus buried his face against Dave's chest as he allowed himself to cry. He was tired, but all week he felt like he was always exhausted, and he didn't want his own stupid fatigue to steal his most precious moments away from him. His body trembled against Dave's strong physique, his already depleted energy quickly fading further away with each passing second. Riley babbled wordlessly behind her father as she climbed his frame, attempting to crawl into her daddy's arms. He smiled weakly as he reached for her, pulling her into an embrace as he cuddled her close, closing his eyes and nuzzling against the crown of her curls. Riley buried her face against Klaus's chest, her tiny fist clutching onto his shirt as her perfect pout stretched into a yawn.

"Why don't we go lay down for a while?" Dave suggested as he watched Klaus's eyelashes flutter, struggling to stay awake. He was well aware of Klaus's lack of sleep the last couple of weeks. He cupped Klaus's cheek in the palm of his hand as his concerned gaze met his love's weary green orbs, "Riley looks pretty tired, and between you and me, I think we all could really benefit from a good nap."

Klaus nodded his agreement, so Dave helped guide him off of the floor, before leading him into their bedroom. Klaus laid Riley down in her crib where she instantly fell asleep before Dave took Klaus by his hands and led him over to their shared bed. Dave laid down and pulled Klaus into his arms, tucking him beneath their blankets and hugged him tightly against his chest. Klaus's eyes closed as his small amount of energy quickly deserted him.

"She really crawled to me?" Klaus asked sleepily as he opened his weary eyes into slits. The corner of Dave's lips tugged into a gentle smile before he kissed his temple.

"She did, but, darlin really, don't beat yourself up over this, I promise you she won't mind. I got it all on video, you won't really miss out on anything," he tightened his grip on Klaus, running his palm in soothing circles against his spine, "it's been a hard week. You deserve to rest, Riley would agree. Get some sleep—"

"Will you play it for me," Klaus whispered against Dave's chest, "please?"

"Of course, my love." Dave adjusted so that he was laying on his back, he tucked his arm around Klaus's shoulders as Klaus nestled against his chest. Dave pulled out his phone and played the video for Klaus.

The video was short, but sweet; it started with Riley wobbling on all four limbs staring straight at Dave, his voice cooing to her, beckoning her to come to him. Her lips tugged tightly into a brilliant smile, dimples cratering her cheeks. She babbled and teetered as she watched Dave before her focus turned to Klaus. Klaus, her father, who was passed out on the floor a few feet behind her, entirely unaware of what was happening around him. Riley didn't let her father's current state deter her, though. She laughed loudly before plopping down onto her bum and swiveling so she was facing her daddy, before rising back onto her tiny hands, and pudgy little knees. She lifted an arm unsteadily into the air before laying her palm down against the padded floors and mimicked the movement with her other hand. Her knees slowly but surely started following suit, scooting along the ground as she clumsily inched her teensy tiny frame across the floor towards her father; Dave cheering her on and praising her as she went, before she threw herself at her daddy's slumbering face, where she entangled her fingers into his curls with one hand, while she petted his cheek with the other.

Klaus's eyes welled with fresh tears as he watched the video, pride in his daughter flooding his chest as he finally witnessed her first successful crawling adventure, but his lips wobbled with frustration in himself for only being gifted this memory through a video and not his own two eyes. Dave sat the phone down when a sob rattled Klaus's chest, his shoulders shaking as he dragged his palm over his eyes to staunch his ever flowing tears.

"Hey, shh, it's okay," Dave cooed as he pulled Klaus into his arms, enveloping his love in the tightest hug, "I know you feel cheated, but you shouldn't, darlin. Not at all. You should be proud! She came straight to you. You saw her face, right? Did she look sad that her daddy was asleep? No, she didn't. She looked happy, because she had you in her arms."

Klaus sniffled as he relaxed into Dave's touch, his energy depleting even more. Dave kissed his forehead and rubbed his back, whispering words of love and encouragement and hope into his ears. It pained him to see his love so distraught, and so tired. He knew he needed to try to coax him to sleep, put his mind at ease and get him to rest.

"You're exhausted, darlin," he ran his fingers through his curls, wiping his tears from his cheeks before kissing his forehead once more, "let's go to bed, yeah? You should be proud that she crawled to you. She loves you, I love you. Now, please get some sleep. You need to rest."

Klaus nodded as he nuzzled his tear stained cheek against Dave's broad chest, his boyfriends fingers raking through his hair to soothe him. He closed his eyes as he absorbed Dave's warmth and his daughter's accomplishments. While still upset at himself, Klaus decided to heed Dave's advice and not dwell over his failures, but rather just be happy for his daughter. She crawled, and she did it to him. Klaus accepted that as a victory before his eyes drifted closed and he quickly succumbed to sleep wrapped within his love's arms.

Time continued to pass, and Klaus promised himself to never miss another milestone, or achievement in his daughter's life. He would watch her grow, and flourish and witness it every single step of the way, whether he was tired or not. His energy came and went a lot the next few months. Whenever he had Dave with him, he found himself to have excellent days filled with energy, pride and love; but as Dave's new position started requiring more and more trainings that sent him away, stealing him away from Klaus and Riley, he found himself to be stuck in a rut of emotional turmoil and seemingly endless fatigue. Without Dave being around, Klaus's dreaded nightmares returned with a vengeance, making it all but impossible for him to rest. On the few occasions he would drift into the wonderful land of slumber, he would quickly be abruptly awoken by his nightmares, or the shrieking wails of the damned, leaving Klaus physically shaken and in a cold sweat. It understandably broke Dave's heart to learn this news. He hated that he hadn't even started his position yet, and already his love was suffering so badly. Dave tried his best to comfort and be there for Klaus at night, and help get him to sleep, even if he couldn't physically be there.

They started a new ritual; Dave would call Klaus every night at the time he would normally go to bed and talk to him, kiss him goodnight over the phone, and oftentimes sing him and Riley to sleep. They found that, while not always, this new nightly ritual did seem to help bring Klaus some comfort. So they promised each other to make this a permanent fixture within their lives: whenever Dave was unable to be there physically for Klaus, he promised that he would always call to kiss him goodnight.

—

Dave smiled fondly as he set yet another picture frame down on his new desk. Today was the day; his first day as a fresh faced FBI agent. He was excited, but couldn't help but feel the deep rooted tug of guilt that pulled at his heart as he arranged his personal effects in his new intimate workspace. He couldn't get Klaus's somber expression as he kissed him goodbye that morning out of his mind. He hated leaving him at all, goodbyes were always the hardest for them anytime Dave would leave for work, but something about this new position made it all the more difficult. Longer hours, added days, the promise of seemingly endless overtime; Dave and Klaus knew from the start that their time together would wither and become more sparse, but that simply seemed to cause this decision to be all the more difficult.

Especially knowing how Klaus's health and wellbeing always seemed to suffer anytime he and Dave were apart for too long. All of his conferences, and training he'd been sent off to prior to starting his position only helped prove to Dave just how difficult his absence was for Klaus. Hearing the exhaustion in his tone over the phone, and seeing the bags under his eyes during their video chats, Klaus unwillingly admitting that sleep did not come easily without his love there by his side; even worse, however, was learning that Klaus's struggles with the dead always seemed to reappear whenever Dave was gone as well. He hated this, and only wished that his love didn't have to suffer.

Dave sat Klaus down one day upon returning home from a four day long trip after finding him shaking from exhaustion in the kitchen and asked him outright if he wanted Dave to turn down the offer. He promised him it wasn't too late, he could still change his mind, retract his acceptance of the position, and return to how things were before with the police academy. He promised Klaus he wouldn't mind, not at all, he just couldn't bear to see him like this; watch him suffer over his stupid job. But Klaus just took his hands into his own and promised Dave that he was okay, and begged him to not give up on his dreams over something as silly as his stupid fatigue. He assured Dave that he was fine, reminded him that this was just his new norm, that it wasn't permanent, he was simply having a hard time adjusting, but promised he had nothing to worry about, that he would get better, and made him promise he wouldn't forfeit such an amazing opportunity over _him_. Reluctantly, Dave agreed.

Dave held another frame in his hands and marveled at the photo it held within it; it was a picture of Riley taken four months after he and Klaus started dating. She was smiling, wearing an adorable pair of sunglasses, and a hilarious shirt that Klaus just had to get her that exclaimed in bold black font "Tit Faced!" He laughed at the memory from that day; and the hilarious conversation that shirt sparked between the two of them.

Dave flinched when the photo frame was snatched from his hands. The perpetrator lazily waved it in his face before making themselves comfortable as they perched themselves on the corner of his desk.

"Cute kid, she yours?" Diego asked as he eyed the photo with a smirk, "You never told me you had a kid, what secret life have you kept from me, Dave?" He laughed when Dave snatched the photo back with a wry grin. Diego smiled as he folded one knee over the other. He always loved screwing around with Dave, taunting him and riling him up. Both men were going to miss these playful interactions now that Dave left the Police Academy and joined the FBI. Luckily, Diego's girlfriend Eudora also got promoted, simply giving Diego an added excuse to come and visit and taunt his two favorite people from his work force. Dave shook his head at his friend's silly antics, his gaze trailing to the photo within his hands.

"She's my boyfriend's," he smiled proudly, as his thumb gently stroked the photo before continuing, "that's Riley. Isn't she perfect? Just like her daddy."

"_Boyfriend's_? Dave, why didn't you tell me you met someone? I thought we were bro's, bro," Diego gently nudged Dave's shoulder before reaching for another frame from Dave's desk. It was another picture of Riley, one of Dave bouncing her on his lap from the day she met his family for the first time. Her smile was broad and brightly displayed her perfect dimples and her beautiful bright blue eyes. Diego chuckled fondly as he admired the photo, "she is pretty darn cute, and woah! Check out those curls! Did she get those curly Q's from her dad or her mom?" Dave chuckled at Diego's curiosity.

"Oh no, she most definitely gets them from her daddy. Perfect ringlets, soft as silk." Diego's eyebrow raised, the corner of his mouth curling into a crooked grin.

"Wow, Dave. You're rather smitten, aren't you? How come you never talk about this guy? Come on then," Diego leaned back on Dave's desk, examining the photo frame in his hands, "spill the beans, I need deets!"

Dave laughed as he gently plucked the photo out of Diego's hand and returned it to it's rightful spot atop his desk. His smile wavered, however, his expression darkening.

"I can't, I uh—" he paused as he considered his next course of action. Truthfully, Dave didn't know how to explain his way out of this situation. He couldn't tell Diego the truth—that he'd been dating Klaus, Diego's brother for the past nearly nine months. He knew Klaus didn't _want_ Diego to know, he didn't know how to circumvent this conversation. "I promised him that I wouldn't say anything." Diego's eyebrows furrowed at Dave's words.

"Wait a minute," he held up a hand to pause Dave's statement as he rubbed the back of his neck with his other hand, "your boyfriend doesn't want you discussing your relationship? Seems kind of controlling, don't you think?" Diego's eyebrows raised towards the ceiling as his gaze met Dave's frazzled blue eyes. Dave shook his head as he waved his hands dismissively.

"What? No, no, it's not like that, not at all. He's the furthest thing from that," Dave's expression softened as he thought of Klaus, he couldn't hide the warmth that filled his cheeks anytime he thought of his incredible boyfriend, "he's kind, and sweet. He's so incredibly gentle, and has to be the most nurturing man I've ever known. And god, is he beautiful. He's wonderful, Diego. Really, he is. He—he just had a rough life growing up, and just—I don't know, he likes to keep his private life just that; private." he stumbled over his words, trying to find an explanation. Diego seemed to soften at Dave's description.

"Tough life, huh?" Diego exhaled an understanding laugh as he ran his fingers through his short raven hair, "Yeah, well, I can relate." He straightened his posture, cracking his neck before scratching at the scruff on his chin. "Eudora and I ever gonna get introduced to this boy toy of yours?"

"Definitely not a boy toy, Diego," Dave exhaled a laugh as he sunk down deep into his chair, the spring groaning as it swayed back. "I love him." Dave's smile spread across his features, his cheeks darkening as he blushed. Dave already knew that he loved Klaus, that he was _in love_ with Klaus, but he couldn't help but feel at odds admitting this news to his unknowing brother.

"Love?" Diego's face brightened at Dave's bold statement. "Jesus Dave, it's that serious? Wow, I cannot believe you have never even mentioned this guy until now, and you're saying you're in love with him. Are you sure it's love? How long have you two even been together?" Dave leaned forward, resting his forearms on his desk as he anxiously fiddled with a Knick-knack before straightening one of his picture frames.

"Yes, Diego. I know what love is, and what we share is definitely that. We've been officially together for about, oh, nearly nine months now, but I do love Klaus, it's absolutely love, I've never—"

"Klaus?"

_Shit_.

Dave knew at that moment that he'd fucked up.

_Fuck_!

"That's not a very common name. I haven't heard a name like that in over a year. Weird," Diego shook his head as a sad crooked grin crossed his lips. "I have a brother with that name."

The atmosphere around the two men grew eerily silent as Dave's cheeks flushed. Diego watched Dave, almost expecting him to say something, anything at all, when the realization surrounding his silence hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Wait, Dave, does—are you—did your boyfriend not want you to say anything because—"

"He's your brother?" Dave quietly asked, ducking his head so he wouldn't see the anger flash in Diego's eyes. "Yes."

Diego didn't know how to react, didn't know how to take such news, didn't expect to _hear_ such news. He pushed off Dave's desk, his nostrils flaring in agitation in Dave, his friend who up until this point had never kept a secret from Diego, had never _lied_. Dave was his brother in arms, his best friend in the academy, and someone he always felt that he could trust. How could he keep this from him? How could he possibly hide the fact that for nine months, damn well near a year he was dating his brother behind his back? He roughly rubbed at the hair on his head, tugging at the ends before turning on Dave, pointing his finger at the man accusingly.

"How could you fucking keep this from me, Dave?" His glare was as sharp as any one of his numerous knives. He huffed an irritated sigh as he shook his head, "you don't love him. He's a bad person, Dave, you need to get away, and stay the hell away from him! Klaus, he's—he's—"

"A changed man, Diego!" Dave's chair shot back as he abruptly stood, his palms slamming down against his desk with such a force it toppled Riley's numerous picture frames; the metal clattered loudly against the glass topper on the oak desk. Dave's eyes burned into Diego's with the ferocity and heat of a thousand suns. "I know about his past. I know every single detail of his life right down to the last time the two of you spoke. Yeah, that's right, I know about the overdose, Diego. I know how you two fought. I know what he said to you, and what ugly, terrible things you said to him. Both of you were wrong then, but—" Dave's voice trailed off to a pause, his expression softening as the rigidity of his body relaxed, his shoulders easing into a more calm stance before he continued, "He—Klaus isn't that person anymore, Diego. He's—he's _perfect_. When Riley came into his life he gave up everything: No more drugs, no more alcohol. He quit cold turkey, he's clean—hasn't touched or even considered touching any narcotics, not even once. He absolutely refuses to do anything that could even slightly pose any inkling of potential to hurt his daughter. He isn't homeless anymore, he's off the streets, living at Ben's—"

"Wait, hold the fuck up," Diego held up his hands, his eyebrows knitting together in irritation, "are you telling me that Ben knew about this?"

"Yes," Dave affirmed calmly. Diego scoffed, his lips curling into an angry crooked scowl as he rolled his eyes, "Ben is very much aware, Diego. He's the only one, though. Please, don't say anything. Klaus didn't want anyone to know."

Diego shook his head before he glared at Dave. He was silent, not knowing what to say, or how he should truly even react to such news. He couldn't look at Dave, not right now. He tilted his head down towards Dave's desk, when a picture of Riley caught his attention. Slowly, he trailed his fingertips against the glass topper before his skin met the cool metal frame. Gently, his grip tightened and he pulled the picture into his hands. Diego looked at the picture, his big brown eyes softening at the sight of the slumbering little girl in the photo. Diego ran his fingertips over the photo held behind the glass within the frame. Diego's eyes marveled at the beautiful baby in the photo, but his mind was somewhere else entirely; trapped within the past, his last memories of the child's father—his brother, Klaus.

—

_"Honestly, Diego, it's only a matter of time before you get your ass kicked off the force with all of the bullshit you pull—a donut run, really? I thought your body was a temple?" Patch teased her boyfriend as she watched him lick the remnants of the confectionary sugar from his fingers._

_"Oh, it is a temple," Diego reminded proudly, slapping his palm against his abs for emphasis, "but even a temple deserves a treat from time to time." He shot his girlfriend a crooked grin, flexing a single raise of his eyebrows before finishing with a wink. Patch scoffed, punching him lightheartedly in the shoulder as she took a swig from her second coffee that night. The two laughed together as they continued their patrol on the town. Their night started as any other night, mostly quiet aside from the random noise complaint, or occasional DUI, but otherwise it was a rather calm evening. A welcome treat, really, considering it was nearing the holidays and criminal activity always tended to spike around such times. Diego cleared his throat before he grabbed Eudora's coffee from her grasp, earning an irritated huff from the fiery cop. Diego laughed as he took a sip, the hot liquid burning his throat as he swallowed._

_"Calling all units, we've got a report for an unidentified male, possible overdose under the Christmas tree in Unity Park—over." Diego's ears perked at the description. Anytime he heard overdose his mind immediately went to his brother, Klaus. He hated that he thought that way, and he only wished he didn't have to, but it was no secret that Klaus was a very familiar find at the end of his numerous responses to such calls. He snagged the radio from its holster, holding down the call button before responding._

_"This is officer Hargreeves, officer Patch and myself are close, we're on our way—over, and out." Eudora and Diego shared a knowing glance before he slammed the car into drive, gunning towards the park._

_They arrived at the park within minutes and Diego was sure not to waste time; quickly throwing his seatbelt to the wind and scrambling out of the cruiser to head towards the brightly lit Christmas tree. At first he didn't see anyone, and wondered if this was some prank call phoned into the police again, until he spotted the incredibly slender legs coated in snow sticking out from beneath the tree. Diego's grimace only intensified when he realized the lack of shoes on the man's bare feet._

_"Hey, buddy, you can't sleep here," Diego started as he approached the unidentified male, "you hear me? I said you can't—" Diego's tongue stuttered to a halt. The closer he got to the man, the easier it became to understand what he was staring at—and it was not what Diego wanted to see at all. Toes tinged red from the chill of the snow, toenails painted with chipping black varnish. The legs were undeniably thin, frail and severely lacking any proper fat or muscle; this man was malnourished, starving and underweight. Then, the pants, Diego's heart plummeted from his chest to his bowels at the sight of them, he knew those pants: black leather with ties up the side. Diego's breath caught in his throat as he took in the rest of the man's appearance; threadbare charcoal crop top and a fuzzy patch work jacket.. then his pale and hollowed face..._

_"Klaus!" Diego ran to his brother, quickly closing the distance between them and collapsed onto his knees, skidding to a stop at his siblings side. Klaus was pale, deathly pale. His cheeks were sunken in, merely displaying how unhealthy he truly was. His eyes were open; seeing without seeing as they lacked any usual luster. He was conscious but not coherent. "Klaus, please, talk to me!"_

_Diego tapped his brother's cheek, alarmed by the chill on his skin. How long had he been laying there before he found him?_

_"What did you take," he asked frantically, eyeing the tourniquet wrapped around his arm, the crook of his elbow already discolored, the flesh angry and veins bulging and throbbing, "Klaus, what the fuck did you take? Come on, bro, answer me, please!" Diego's eyes blurred by his tears as he desperately tried to get Klaus to respond._

_"Diego, we need to take him to the hospital!" Eudora's hands were warm against his shoulder, urgency in her tone. "Pick him up, let's go, he doesn't look good, we don't have much time. Come on, hold it together—move it!"_

_Diego scooped Klaus's still form into his arms, it pained him to realize how little effort the action took, how frail his brother had become since even his last encounter with him. He hugged him against his chest, removing his own coat and draping it over Klaus's severely underclothed frame, trying to offer him some shred of warmth. They ran back to the cruiser, Eudora driving as Diego climbed into the back seat with Klaus, unable to sever their tie or break his contact, simply too afraid of what may happen should he decide to let him go. Diego wept as he clutched him close, his own fingers woven between Klaus's emaciated digits._

_"Hold on, Klaus," he cried against his siblings' frozen curls, "just please, please, you have to hold on."_

_A lot of what transpired after they arrived at the hospital was a blur to Diego. He remembered rushing him through the entrance and then the nurses taking his brother away from him, hurrying him through the emergency doors. He remembered the wait; the agonizingly painful wait that seemed to span several hours before someone finally was able to share with him the dreaded news of his brother's fate._

_An overdose; Diego already knew, he didn't need a doctor or a degree in medicine to figure out as much, but the rest of the news was enough to make Diego's own heart stop. They told Diego he was lucky he found his brother when he did, that had he gone even a few minutes longer he would have undoubtedly died. They told Diego that Klaus's heart stopped three times since his arrival, that he was currently on oxygen, and trapped within the frailty of his own body in a coma. The doctor's sullen face was enough for Diego to know that Klaus still may not make it through the night, he didn't even want to imagine what consequences his brother may face the rest of his life should he pull through and survive._

_Diego remembered the wait, the dreaded uncertainty surrounding his brother's life, what future he may or may no longer possess. He remembered informing each of his siblings and how the only one who cared enough to respond to his call was Ben. He remembered how the two brothers paced the halls, worrying over their brother that up until that moment none of them had given him even a second glance. Klaus laid there still in that hospital bed for nearly two weeks; pale, unconscious and so incredibly weak. Diego hated it, Ben hated it, too. Both brothers hated themselves for not being there for Klaus, not helping him or guiding him like they all promised him they once would._

_Diego cried more in those two weeks than he ever had in his entire life. Watching his brother trapped within his broken body, his weakened and damaged state of being and knowing there was nothing more that he could do, except witness him struggling to try to fight for his life. He wanted to wake him, he longed for his brilliant green eyes to peer up to him in wonder as he did when they were younger. He missed his brother's smile, and only prayed he would get to see it again one day, hopefully soon._

_"He's awake."_

_More tears flooded his eyes at the news of Klaus's practical revival. The two brothers rushed into the room, Ben throwing himself at Klaus who weakly wrapped his sickeningly slender arms around his brother. Diego was happy to see him awake, knowing that he was alive, but for whatever reason his emotion that engulfed him was a sudden anger when he met his brother's tear filled green eyes._

_Diego doesn't know why it happened, and he still hates himself to this day for allowing it to, but he remembered vividly the first words he said to his brother after he cheated death._

_"What the fuck were you thinking, you idiot! Were you trying to die!" He remembered the sadness behind his brother's irises, and an undertone of something more, he could see how tired he was and knew he shouldn't push him, but the words poured from his mouth like vomit as he continued to berate him._

_"Another overdose, Klaus? Seriously? How many times are you going to allow this to happen? How many times do we have to watch you slowly kill yourself, huh?" Diego's words were like venom, he couldn't hold them back, he needed to make sure he got his point across so Klaus understood the severity of his actions, "You need to pull your shit together. This shit? It needs to stop now!"_

_Diego couldn't believe his brother's response, it was unexpected to say the least. He told Diego to get over himself, as if he were the problem in this situation? Klaus told him to drop his holier than thou attitude, which Diego knew he didn't have, but what left his mouth next hurt worse than any wound Diego had ever received during any altercation. Klaus told him if he didn't like his life choices, didn't like him, as if that would ever be possible, then he could fuck off, and never speak to him again._

_That hurt. Of course he loved Klaus, even if he hated and didn't agree with his choices, but the heat of the moment and his own anger caused Diego's next actions to be his biggest mistake and regret of his life._

_"Next time I find you like this? No—fuck that. There won't be a next time, Klaus. If I ever see you like this again, I'm done. I'll leave you there. You want this? Are drugs - being high off your ass until you don't even know who you are anymore—if that is more important to you than your family, then fine. Next time—" he paused, his eyes burning into Klaus's with enough toxicity he almost swore the look would kill, "I'll leave you there to die. I'm serious. I'm done, Klaus. Fucking done."_

_The look on his brother's face was hard to determine—sadness, fear, pain, but the one thing Diego noticed and pained him the most was the look of acceptance in his brother's eyes._

_"Good," Klaus said, which simply broke Diego's heart more, "you'll be doing the world a favor. Thank you, Diego, really," he remembered flinching when his brother slumped weakly against his pillow, his hands draping over his stomach as his weary eyes slipped closed, "I'll hold you to your promise."_

_Diego's eyebrows furrowed in anger, and despair. How could Klaus be this way, why was he acting like this? Diego would forever hate himself for what he said next. If he could go back in time he would knock some sense into himself, make him stop, but he knew that was impossible, and he would never be able to forgive himself for it._

_"I hate you," the statement fell from his lips painfully as he spoke, each word untrue even though spoken with a burning conviction, "if I never see your junkie ass again it'll be too soon." He pointed a finger at Klaus, strong and full of hurt. "Stay the hell away from me. I never want to see you again, you hear me? Never!"_

_"Diego!" Ben tried to calm his roaring emotions and placate the situation, but it was too late, what was done was done. He didn't wait to hear his brother's reaction, he didn't allow himself to catch his gaze, he simply turned and left the hospital room to never see his brother again._

—

A single teardrop fell from Diego's nose, spreading like spilt paint atop his nieces face held within the frame in his grasp. He closed his eyes, smoothing the liquid away from the glass with his thumb before he dragged his palm down his face. Diego had failed his brother his entire life. He wasn't there when he needed him the most, and he had turned his back on him and walked away. He huffed in a deep breath, blinking to clear his vision as he held the photo up and took in his niece's face.

That precious little angel staring back at him was his brother's daughter. His lips wobbled before tugging into the slightest of smiles learning such wonderful news. Klaus was not only alive, but he seemed to be _thriving_. He had a boyfriend, an amazing one, no less, in his best friend Dave, and a perfect little girl, and he did all of that without his help. Klaus never needed Diego, but Diego always knew deep down in his heart that he would always and forever need his brother Klaus.

"This is—sh-she's Klaus's? My brother has a daughter?" He paused, his soggy gaze meeting Dave's. "I-I have a-a niece?"

Dave's expression softened as his blue eyes met Diego's brown, "Yeah," he started with a nod and a smile warmer than the sun, "yeah, you do. A beautiful niece. Hair like her daddy's, and a kind and tender heart like his, too."

Diego exhaled a breathy laugh as his eyes once again trailed to the photo within his hands. He hastily wiped at his cheeks to hide his tears. Riley was beautiful, he noted, with curls exactly like Klaus's. He could see his brother in her, and it made his heart smile.

"And Klaus?" Diego's eyes sprung towards Dave's, eagerness in his tone, "how, I mean—is he—"

"Klaus is great, Diego," Dave reassured as he laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, "he's clean, sober. His health is great, you know. He's at a healthy weight, he's doing so well. He's happy. Really happy."

"He's happy?" Diego repeated, more to himself than anyone else as he bobbed his head in a nod.

"Yeah, he really is. He misses you, you know," Diego's lip wobbled at Dave's words, "he talks about you all the time. It hurt him, the last time the two of you spoke. He's wanted so desperately to reach out to you, but he was so worried you didn't want to see his face."

"I didn't," Diego admitted through his tears, "I was so angry, Dave. So tired of watching him throw his life away time and time again. I couldn't—I couldn't stand to watch it anymore. But he's - he's good? He's clean, and healthy and he's a _daddy_?" Diego's words dimmed to a whisper as he looked longingly into Dave's eyes.

"Yeah, he is," Dave informed him, tears filling his own blue eyes, "Klaus is such an amazing dad, too. You would be so impressed, Diego. So incredibly proud."

Diego's lips quivered, more tears tumbling down his cheeks. He exhaled a laugh, just so happy to learn Klaus, his brother who he truly loved very much was finally happy, and loved, and doing so well. His heart soared at the thought. He was so happy for Klaus, so overjoyed that he finally had people in his life who reminded him he was loved, because that is exactly what he was. Dave smiled, wiping at his own tears before he gingerly tugged a photo off of his desk.

"Here," Dave started holding the frame in view between himself and Diego before he said, "see for yourself."

Diego's eyes widened as Dave opened the back of the frame and removed the photo. It was a picture of Riley laying on the ground - by the looks of it, attempting to crawl. She was smiling widely, arms outstretched before her. Dave unfolded the photo, revealing its true full image. Diego's smile broadened as he cupped his hand over his mouth, more tears falling over his cheeks.

There he was, laying on his stomach his arms spread open begging for Riley to crawl to him. His green eyes were bright and full of so much love, and life and his smile was so radiant and so proud. Diego couldn't believe how healthy Klaus looked, how happy he finally truly was. Dave handed the photo to Diego and his shoulders shook with a sob. They were so beautiful, it made Diego so proud. He inhaled a shaky breath, wiping at his tears with the back of his wrist before he returned his attention to the photo. He laughed, a genuine sound while he trailed his thumb over his brother's smiling face.

"He looks amazing," he said as he smiled at Dave, "wow, Klaus—wow."

Diego held the photo against his heart, closing his eyes and tucking his chin to his chest. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this happy.

"God, I miss him so much." He said as he hugged the photo against himself, only wishing it was his brother he was holding instead. Dave wrapped his arms around Diego in a hug, which Diego gladly returned as he buried his tear stained face into Dave's shoulder. Dave held Diego as he cried, he was just so overwhelmed by his emotions that he could no longer hold them in, he didn't want to hide them any longer. Dave rubbed his back as Diego allowed his emotional walls around his heart to crumble as he welcomed his love for his brother to flood back in.

"He misses you, too, Diego," Dave smiled as an idea crossed his mind. Knowing now that Diego missed Klaus, wanted to see Klaus and already having the knowledge of how desperately Klaus wanted the same, he knew he had to help them rekindle their relationship. He had an idea, and he couldn't wait to see the look on either man's face when it came to light. "Klaus misses you too."

—

**Authors Note-** _So, this was a lot to write in this chapter, but a lot had to happen. Yes, Klaus's OD was not an accident...but he is happy and loves his life now! AND DIEGO IS HERE! Stay tuned to see if there is a happy family reunion on the horizon ;)_

_Thank you to my commenters, I really appreciate you! If you are reading along on this journey, please leave a comment, I would love to hear from you! I hope you enjoyed! Stay tuned next week for the next update! :)_


	13. New Beginnings

Klaus teetered precariously while he balanced himself on the step stool, pinning yet another one of the numerous streamers to the wall. He smiled as he clambered down, wiping his sweat from his brow before taking a step back and marveling at his handy work that had taken him nearly all day to complete.

Pink, blue and white glitter streamers decorated every archway, or doorframe of every room within the house; while clear balloons filled with glitter and rainbow confetti tied together in voluminous bundles flanked every corner. Homemade holographic glitter elephant cut outs that were meticulously crafted with love were plastered between every portrait of Riley on every surface, leaving the entire house plastered with frilly, and colorful decorations. Klaus wiped a tear from his eyes before he busied himself with hanging the Pièce de résistance above the entryway into the living room; a large glittery pink 'HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY' sign.

"Dada," Riley cooed from her Pack N'Play, earning her daddy's attention, "Da-da-da-da."

Klaus smiled as he went to his daughter, scooping her into his arms and kissing her forehead.

"That's my name, don't wear it out," He sang to his precious angel as he rocked her in his loving arms.

Klaus couldn't believe that his baby girl was already turning one year old today. Where had the time gone, he wondered as he danced around the living room, smiling and laughing with his daughter, his heart swelling with pride as she clung onto him, laughing vibrantly and smiling back. She was getting so big, he still remembered the first time he laid his eyes on her; that memory being the most magical moment of his life. He couldn't believe that was already a year ago, and was amazed at how quickly that time had passed him by. He remembered the day that she first crawled; he still held resentment towards himself for missing such a wondrous occasion, but he promised himself and Riley that day that he would never miss another milestone in her development—and he had kept his word. He was there standing beside her and holding her hand when she took her first steps, and he was there when she learned her first word "dada". He was also there when she learned her second word "yeah", and her third word, which wasn't really a word but more of a feeling of "humph!"

"Goodness, you're getting so heavy princess," Klaus said as he stopped spinning around the room. He smiled, adjusting Riley on his hip before he tucked a rampant curl behind her ear, "soon you're going to have to start carrying daddy around!"

Klaus laughed as Riley's giggles filled the air, the angelic sound of her joy dancing around the room and making him feel almost dizzy. He closed his eyes and hugged her close against his chest; while she nuzzled into the crook of his neck. Riley wrapped her tiny arms around her daddy's neck in the tightest of hugs. He held her and rocked her in his arms, kissing her curls and just savoring her delicate presence pressed against his heart. He just loved her so much, and always adored whenever they got to just hold onto each other in stolen, precious little moments just like these. Klaus opened his eyes, squinting when he found his vision to be a little hazy, and he himself felt a little lightheaded. He had only hoped that the room would have stopped spinning by now, but he frowned when he found that it hadn't. The dizzying sensation still lingered even once his feet had stopped moving. This is what he got, he supposed, for keeping himself so busy, but he needed to ensure everything was just right for the party he'd worked so hard on planning for his daughter. Perhaps, he thought, he should allow himself to take a break, at least for a little while.

"Daddy needs to sit down for a few minutes, sweet pea." Klaus said softly as he slowly made his way over towards the couch before sitting down with Riley.

Klaus was exhausted, as he found himself to be a lot as of late, but today was a special occasion, and he wasn't going to allow his overall tiredness and lack of sleep to come between him and making sure his daughter's first birthday was extra special. Besides, Dave was going to come home today, and he was going to have him all to himself all night, and finally have a true good night's sleep for the first time in, honestly, a few months span. He couldn't help but excitedly look forward to the moment he could hold him in his arms again. Klaus hadn't slept much at all the last few days especially, his nightmares keeping him up for most of the night, and truthfully, for the last few months, sleep came with much difficulty for him.

A little over a month ago Riley woke up in the middle of the night after she had started to not feel well. She was running a mild fever and tugging at her ears, whimpering and crying from her pain. It broke his heart to see his little girl so uncomfortable and upset, and he couldn't help but to feel guilty that she felt that way at all. Klaus was sure to bring Riley to her pediatrician the morning after her symptoms first began to present themselves, and he was saddened to learn that his poor baby girl was suffering from a double ear infection; a very bad one, no less. The doctor prescribed Riley a round of amoxicillin for the infection, as well as acetaminophen for her pain. Klaus made absolutely certain he followed the directions thoroughly, and was saddened when at the end of her treatment that her symptoms had not seemed to lessen or go away. The doctor assured him that could be normal, and recommended that they follow her previous treatment with a round of medicated ear drops as well.

Thankfully, after nearly three weeks of battling her infection, his little princess was finally on the mend. Now, nearly a week later she was completely back to her full health, and Klaus's heart was overjoyed. He was happy to admit that he felt so much more at ease. Unfortunately, while the stress was relieved now that his daughter was well again, his energy and strength had not fully returned. He was completely drained, exhausted from a severe lack of sleep after worrying himself thin over his daughter's health, and struggling with his nightmares. Usually he would be fine, be able to take cat naps throughout the day, or find decent down time to kick his feet up and at least relax while Riley napped, but the last couple of days especially he had no such opportunity to do-so.

With Riley's birthday under way, Klaus had to make extra trips to the grocery store to pick up food for their little birthday party they were throwing for her. He had to go to the party store to pick up all of the decorations to make sure her party was perfect; just like her. It didn't help that Klaus couldn't drive, and Dave wasn't around due to his work schedule, so Klaus had to either catch a bus, or take a cab - both of which Klaus hated to take, so he usually opted to simply walk to each destination. Luckily, Ben's house was rather centrally located, the furthest walk took maybe forty minutes for Klaus, but with his energy already low due to his lack of sleep, it just helped to further drain him of what little vital energy he struggled to possess even more.

Klaus's eyelashes fluttered as he rested on the couch for a few minutes, Riley calmly clutching onto him as she cuddled against her daddy's chest. He was thankful she was such a good little girl. Klaus swore it was like Riley could sense when he was having a bad day; she always seemed to know just when she needed to cheer her daddy up, or calm down and allow him to just rest. He sat there for ten minutes or so, just long enough to regain a little strength and allow the room to stop spinning, before he decided to finish setting up the rest of her party. He knew that Dave should be home soon, and he wanted to make sure he would be able to come home to a hot meal to fill his belly.

Klaus smiled when he glanced down at his daughter and found that she'd fallen asleep in his arms. He slowly raised his weary body up from the couch, being mindful not to disturb her rest, before he brought her to his bedroom to lay her down in her crib. He set her down softly, leaning over her and kissing her temple before tip-toeing out of the bedroom. He shot her another smile, and a soft "I love you" and left the door cracked open so he could hear her, before making his way back out into the kitchen.

Klaus had already started prepping the majority of the meal earlier. He'd been a busy bee all morning, really; picking up the balloons, Riley's smash cake, as well as a few added gifts. He deep cleaned the entire interior of their home before he decorated it for her birthday party. Not to mention, he had wrangled her squirming form and given her a bath, as well, which may have been his most difficult task for the day. Klaus exhaled an exhausted sigh as he checked on the crock pot full of buffalo Mac and cheese—Dave's favorite, as well as the mini crock pot filled with a non spicy version for Riley—a special birthday treat. Everything smelled delicious, and Klaus smiled knowing it would be ready to eat just in time for Dave's arrival back home.

He pulled a bag of lettuce from the fridge and started washing the leaves, before shaking off the excess water and laying them on the cutting board. Klaus chopped the lettuce, and some tomatoes before layering them into a bowl. He set the bowl of salad on the counter and turned to get himself a glass of water when he heard the front door open just as the timer beeped for their dinner. Klaus's heart fluttered when he realized his love was home, he was so excited to hold him again. Dave's new position as an FBI agent kept him extremely busy, so unfortunately that meant that he was rarely ever home anymore. Whenever he was, it would usually be for a few short hours in the morning, before he had to hurry off to another case. Klaus was overjoyed that Dave had been granted the rest of the night and the entire next day off, he missed him so much and was just so ready to curl up in his arms and never let him go.

"What perfect timing," Klaus called as he rounded the corner to greet his boyfriend, "you're just in time, dinner just got—" Klaus's words as well as his steps stammered to a halt when he entered the front entryway. He felt his heart skip a beat and his color drain from his features when his eyes landed on a face that wasn't Dave's, but rather someone's he'd never expected to see ever again. Klaus's eyebrows knitted together in worry and concern when his eyes met his brother's, "Diego?"

Diego's eyes widened when his gaze met Klaus's. Everything was silent, neither man able to speak, simply not knowing what to say. He took a few cautious steps forward, meeting his surprised brother at the mouth of the kitchen.

"Hey, bro." Diego said softly with a gentle smile. Klaus nervously took a few steps back until his back was pressed against the wall.

"H-Hey." Klaus stuttered, an all too familiar uncertainty was lacing his tone. He stared at his brother in shock, and truthfully he didn't know how he should be feeling at that moment. He didn't understand it; why was his brother here? Why now? When the last time they had spoken Diego had made it painfully evident he never wanted to see Klaus again. "Ben's not here—"

"I'm not here for Ben, I'm here to see you, Klaus." Diego corrected immediately, not wanting Klaus to feel slighted.

"Oh." Was all Klaus knew to say. Diego and Dave sensed his discomfort in the situation, but Diego couldn't pay any mind to that right now. All he could focus on was how _good_ his brother looked. He wasn't the emaciated stick figure of a malnourished man he once knew. He was at a healthy weight, his complexion was clear, and healthy - no longer deathly pale or gaunt in appearance. His eyes were bright, and alert and not glazed or unfocused. Klaus's hair had grown since the last time he'd seen him, tendrils of tightly wound curls cascading like gentle waves to just above his shoulders. He couldn't believe how much he'd changed since the last time he had spoken to him. Diego's heart pounded with joy in his chest, witnessing his brother like this, instead of how he'd last seen him—half dead and practically a corpse lying in a hospital bed. This was a welcome change, and the most beautiful sight Diego had seen in a long time. He was so happy for his sibling, so proud of him, too.

"Wow, Klaus, you look—you look good, man."

"He does, doesn't he?" Dave praised as he approached his boyfriend, pulling him into an embrace which Klaus eagerly accepted, burying his face into Dave's warm neck. "I missed you, darlin. I love you."

Dave kissed his curls as the two men continued to hold each other. Diego watched and a warm smile spread across his features. Seeing Klaus like this, so happy and so _loved_? He couldn't help but feel such an overwhelming sensation of happiness.

"Really, Klaus, you look great." Klaus lifted his tired head off of Dave's shoulder so his eyes could meet his brothers. It was odd, hearing him say something so kind to him. It made his chest clench at the thought, he still couldn't get the last words Diego said to him out of his mind. This was so much different, so much _warmer_, and, well, it was a welcome change.

"Yeah, well, better than the last time you saw me, anyways—"

"I'm serious, you look amazing," Klaus's lips tugged into a subtle smile at his brother's words. He longed for Diego's presence within his life again for so long, and now here he was, "I'm so happy for you, bro. Dave? He's a great guy, he told me all about you, how well you're doing and—" Diego's smile broadened, his eyes sparkling with excitement as Klaus and Dave pulled away from each other; the couple continued to keep their hands still clasped together. "Where is she?"

Klaus's own smile widened as he exhaled a soft giggle. "Where is who?" he asked, eyebrows raised in feigned confusion causing Diego's laughter to bellow from his chest.

"My niece! Where is my niece, I can't wait to finally meet her!" He exclaimed proudly. Klaus and Dave exchanged a smile as Dave rubbed the space between Klaus's shoulder blades. Klaus lifted his HELLO hand and gestured it towards their bedroom, letting Dave know Riley was laying down in her crib taking a nap. Dave smiled as he nodded, kissing his boyfriend's temple before turning his attention back to Diego.

"I'll go get her!" Dave grabbed Klaus's hand, giving it a gentle reassuring squeeze just to remind him that everything was fine, and he was doing great before leaving the two brothers alone in the front room.

Diego cleared his throat and shot Klaus a warm smile, which Klaus returned with his own crooked uncertain grin before Diego slowly approached his brother. He laid a hand on his shoulder, making him all the more happy when Klaus didn't flinch away from his touch.

"Listen, Klaus, I—I'm sorry about the last time that we spoke, That was—"

"No, it's okay, Diego," Klaus interrupted, patting his brother's hand, "it's okay, really. You—you were right—" Diego's eyes widened at Klaus's words; he couldn't possibly think that was true. He laid both of his hands on Klaus's shoulders, squeezing gently in a grounding grip as he looked his brother straight in his eyes.

"No, Klaus," he started, his tone was strong and sure; earning Klaus's green gaze to meet his own, "it was wrong. _I was wrong_. I'm so proud of you, man." Klaus's eyes filled with tears at Diego's statement. After so long of truly believing his brother hated him, his words from their last encounter constantly playing on repeat in the back of his mind; '_I hate you, there won't be a next time, I'll leave you there to die_', it felt so nice to hear that he didn't think that way, now. Klaus had longed to hear these words for so long.

"Look at what you've become! You're finally happy, you're in a relationship with a good man, you're sober—you have a _baby_!" Klaus exhaled a wet laugh as he bowed his head with a quick nod.

"Yeah," he whispered as his eyes once again met his brothers, "I guess I'm doing pretty okay."

"Okay?" Diego's eyebrows furrowed as his lips tugged into an even wider grin, "You're doing amazing, man. I'm so proud of you, of the man that you've become. You've always been a good person, Klaus. You just finally have exactly what you've always deserved. I'm so happy for you, bro. You earned this, you have _always_ deserved this."

Klaus went to speak but no words ever breached the surface of his lips. He was overwhelmed by his emotions and couldn't hold them back, not even for a single moment longer. His chin wobbled as his tears freely fell down his cheeks. He inhaled a shaky breath when Diego threw himself at Klaus, pulling his brother into a long overdue hug. The two siblings stayed there, captured in a moment in time that after nearly two years both of them had longed to experience again for the longest time.

"Thank you, Diego," Klaus whispered against his brother's shoulder, he'd been meaning to say these words ever since the 'incident' from oh so long ago, from the night that he saved his life, "I never...I never thanked you for that night, _had you not_—just, thank you, so much." Diego tightened his grip on Klaus, holding his brother as he wept, his own tears cascading his face. Both brothers were so thankful to finally be able to put that night behind them and move forward towards a brighter future, with each other back in their lives. They now knew that they would never allow themselves to withdraw from one another, they were so happy to be reunited as brothers, and friends once again. Dave entered the room at that time, He was holding Riley's smiling figure in his hands. When she saw her daddy she instantly started reaching for him, her babbles and laughter capturing both men's attention. Klaus pulled away and wiped at his tears. His emerald eyes lit up before he smiled broadly at his daughter, happily accepting her into his arms.

"Hey there, princess," he sang as he kissed Riley's forehead before pushing her curls out of her eyes, "I want you to meet someone very special. This is your uncle, Diego."

Diego's face brightened at the sight of his niece. He couldn't believe he was finally given the chance to meet her. Diego smiled while he cooed to her, taking her hand into his own. Riley smiled back, 'shaking' her uncles hand excitedly.

"Hey there beautiful girl," he said in an airy tone, "wow Klaus, I can't believe you made that. She is absolutely beautiful." Klaus laughed as he ran his palm up and down his daughter's back, shifting her weight on his hip.

"I know, I can't believe it either."

"I can," Dave assured as he draped his arm around Klaus's waist while tucking a curl behind Riley's ear. He kissed Riley's temple before kissing her fathers, "she's cut from the same gilded cloth as her father. No wonder she's so perfect."

Klaus blushed at Dave's comment while Diego laughed heartily at his expense. Dave smiled fondly at the beautiful moment between the family, the kickstart at rekindling the two brothers' relationship. He couldn't wait to watch their bond reform and grow together as they worked on repairing their past mistakes between one another. The little family started making their way towards the living room to sit and get reacquainted once again. As they cleared the threshold and neared the sofa the front door unexpectedly swung open, earning everyone to spin in its direction. Dave and Klaus exchanged a confused glance, as neither man had been expecting any added company.

"Honey, I'm home," came Ben's voice from the front entryway, "now where is my beautiful—Diego?"

"Benny?" Klaus exclaimed breathily at the happy surprise, his hand clutching Dave's dog tags above his stammering heart as he stumbled back a step. Out of all of the letters they'd exchanged, and all of the phone conversations, and video chats, Ben had never once mentioned to Klaus that he was planning on coming home. Klaus felt his heart flutter in his chest from all of the overwhelming emotions he was feeling, "You're home." He whispered, his voice unsteady as he squeezed his eyes shut, just as an onslaught of fresh tears fell from his eyes.

"I missed you guys so much," Ben said as he hurriedly went to Klaus, wrapping his brother and Riley in the tightest of hugs. Klaus's shoulders quaked under his brother's touch, he couldn't believe how lucky this day had turned out to be. First Diego re-entered into his life, and now Ben was home, too? Ben pulled away, and happily pulled Riley into his arms, his own trail of tears paving a path down his cheeks, "I couldn't miss my beautiful nieces birthday! I didn't forget about you honey bee, I hope you didn't forget about me!" Riley babbled excitedly as she wrapped her arms around her uncle Benny.

"How could she ever forget about you?" Dave asked as he pulled Ben into a hug. Ben smiled as he wrapped his free arm around Dave, this was their first official meeting, but both men already felt like they'd known each other their entire lives, "It's so good to finally meet you in the flesh."

"It's been a long time coming, I'm just sorry it took so long to happen." Ben hugged Riley closer, kissing her curls before he wiped at his tears, "I missed you all so much, holy cow, I can't believe how big she's gotten!"

"I know, she's almost too heavy for me to carry her anymore. Little pipsqueak is going to have to start pulling her own weight around here more," Klaus joked as he wrapped his arms around Dave and rested his chin on his shoulder, "I could have really used her help today, birthday girl or not—I'm pooped!" he exhaled a laugh, his eyes softening as a warm smile spread across his tired features.

Dave wrapped his arm around Klaus and pulled him into his arms. He hadn't even realized how much work he had to put in to make today so wonderful, he only wished he could have been home to help him. He knew that Klaus shouldn't have had to do all of this by himself, especially not with how much he'd been struggling to get a proper night's rest lately. Klaus smiled softly as Dave cupped his cheek in his hand, running his thumb delicately over his cheekbone.

"You did all of this?" Dave asked as he gestured around the house to all of the decorations and food. Klaus hummed and bobbed his head in a nod as he wrapped his hand around Dave's wrist, before leaning into his touch. "You should have told me, darlin. I would have tried to get off work sooner—"

"It's okay, baby. I got it—"

"Are you okay, though? You know you haven't been sleeping well lately," Dave asked softly while he examined Klaus's tired features, looking for any sign that he wasn't alright, but Klaus just laughed and pulled away. Diego and Ben shared a look; Diego was vaguely aware of Klaus's recent health issues, only knowing the bare minimum of what Dave had been willing to fill him in on, while Ben was fully familiar with his brother's unfortunate predicament. "Are you tired? You should probably sit down for a little while, I can handle the rest of this."

"Baby, I'm fine—really, today isn't about me, it's about the birthday girl," he assured as he shifted his sights to his daughter. "Are you ready for us to sing to you, princess? Daddy got you a cake, too!"

"Klaus, maybe you should listen to Dave," Ben began as he took a step towards his sibling. Klaus just laughed as he held up his HELLO hand.

"Guys, I'm fine! Seriously, I'm not going to break, I'm not a piece of china—"

"We know that, Klaus, but we also know you haven't been sleeping enough lately, and you've done a lot today. We just don't want you to over exert yourself is all." Ben furrowed his eyebrows as he watched his brother. He knew Klaus had always been exceedingly stubborn, but Ben not being there for him physically to help him through all of his recent down's, and only being able to assist him via a phone conversation had made their being apart all the more difficult. He just wanted to make sure that his brother would be okay.

"Dave, Ben, I'm okay, really." he pulled away from Dave's grasp, his smile still warm although now subdued. "Please, just let me enjoy my daughter's first birthday. She only gets one. I swear, I am fine. I'm not even that tired, I was kidding. Just, please, today is about Riley."

Dave and Ben both exchanged an accepting glance; one that said they didn't like this, but that they would allow it to continue, and that they would both do their due diligence to keep an eye on Klaus, ensure that he was okay, and that he would continue to stay that way. While Diego slowly started to piece things together. He remembered Dave mentioning to him a few months ago an incident involving his brother's powers that already occurred quite some time ago, and that Klaus still oftentimes struggled to sleep. He also knew that sometimes he would have 'bad days' where he would be "a little more tired than usual". He guessed this must have been one of those days.

"Alright," Dave said as he rubbed his hand up and down Klaus's back. "Alright, fine. Why don't we all go take a seat in the dining room and I'll grab her cake, okay?" Klaus's smile widened as he excitedly nodded his head.

"Wonderful! Come on sweetie, let's get you out of this dress so you don't ruin it when you demolish your cake!" Riley giggled as Klaus carried her into the dining room, tickling her and peppering her cheek with exuberant kisses; the rest of the family exchanged smiles as they followed behind.

Klaus stood Riley up in her high chair, keeping a constant steadying hand on her as he quickly stripped her adorable sequined dress off of her, before easing her squirming body into the chair. He laughed as she protested, making little fussy sounds, trying to hold onto her daddy and push her little legs into the seat to stand back up, but Klaus was patient and stayed calm, gently guiding her legs so that they were safely where they were meant to be. He held her hands within his own and kissed her forehead which caused her to quit fussing, a broad smile and lively giggle exploding from her lips. Diego smiled as he watched how good Klaus was with his daughter, a warm feeling filled his chest at the sheer sight of it. He was so happy to be able to witness something so magical and pure. Ben laughed, snapping pictures of the birthday girl on his phone when Klaus slid her little tiara barrette into the curls on the top of her head.

"Happy birthday, princess." Klaus said while he ran his thumbs over the soft skin of her hands, he kissed her forehead before pulling away and just admiring her beauty. His green eyes softened as a fond smile spread across his cheeks. He still couldn't believe she had already blessed his life for an entire year, he couldn't wait to spend the rest of his life watching her grow, sharing these beautiful memories with his daughter and his family.

"Why don't you take a seat, darlin." Dave suggested as he pressed his hand into the small of Klaus's back while he set Riley's smash cake on the table, "You should sit next to Riley. Should we do the cake now, or save it for dessert and eat dinner first?"

"Oh, good point—I don't want the little lady spoiling her appetite." Klaus started as he pondered the thought. "Maybe you're right, dinner first. Is everyone hungry?" He asked as he looked to his brothers.

"Pfft, as soon as I walked in and smelled whatever it is that's cooking in that kitchen I was ready to eat." Ben exclaimed, drumming his fingers over his stomach, he had a wide grin adorning his features. Diego and Dave nodded in agreement as they all exchanged a good laugh.

"Okay, dinner it is," Klaus went to grab Riley out of her high chair so that they could go into the kitchen to make a plate, but Dave's gentle touch against his shoulder stopped him.

"You two just sit and relax, I'll fix you your plate."

"That's not necessary, baby, I can do it—"

"Nope, sit." Klaus furrowed his eyebrows in slight annoyance. He adored Dave, and appreciated his concern, but while yes, he was tired, he was fine. Setting a plate for himself and his daughter would be no problem. He went to protest, but Dave wouldn't allow it, "I know exactly what you're going to say, but seriously Klaus, please? I know it's such a little thing, but it would make me so much happier if you would just take it easy, at least through dinner. You have already done so much today, let me do something for you."

Klaus didn't like it; in fact, he downright hated to admit it, but Dave was right—he was tired, and all of the activities he'd busied himself with already for the day left him still feeling a little lightheaded. Maybe sitting and letting Dave handle dinner wouldn't be such a terrible idea. Klaus exhaled an exasperated sigh before lowering himself into the seat beside his daughter.

"Fine," he huffed as he slumped his shoulders forward to display his agitation, and perhaps prove to himself that he was not as tired as he felt. "Buffalo mac with a small side salad for me. The small crock pot is a regular cheesy Mac—that's for Riley, no more than a quarter cup. Anyone who wants it can have some, just make sure Riley has that one, Buffalo is too hot for her. And it can all go on the same plate, she and I can share since she's just going to want whatever I'm eating anyways."

"I'm on it," Dave said as he laughed. He laid his hands on Klaus's shoulders, gently squeezing before he leaned down and kissed his curls. Klaus laid his hands over Dave's, tipping his head back and meeting his boyfriend's blue gaze.

"Thank you, baby," Klaus said quietly. It was a silent admittance to his fatigue, not that Dave needed it when he already knew. He could see the exhaustion behind Klaus's eyes, and he could hear it in his voice. He knew he was tired, and Dave was certainly going to ensure he relaxed until they got to go to bed. Klaus was thankful he was lucky enough to always have the added security of Dave in his corner, and by his side. Dave leaned in, pressing his lips to Klaus's in a tender kiss.

"I love you." Dave said before the two hooligans in the kitchen disrupted their tender moment.

"Are we able to eat, or are you two going to like, make out?" Ben teased as he leaned into the dining room from the kitchen. Diego snickered as the brothers bumped knuckles. Dave and Klaus laughed before turning their attention back towards one another.

"I love you, too." Klaus closed his eyes as Dave kissed his forehead.

"I'll be right back with that food."

Klaus watched as Dave and his brother's entered the kitchen to dish out their meals. He exhaled a sigh, tilting his head so that he could shift his attention towards his daughter who was looking at her daddy with the widest smile. Klaus's lips instantly pulled into a broad grin at the sight of her dimples. He reached his arm out towards her, gently running his fingers in circles on her tiny back which caused her to giggle and reach her wiggling arms out for her daddy.

"Aww, you don't want to be trapped in your high chair, do you princess?" Klaus asked as he adjusted himself closer to her. She laughed excitedly when he pulled her out of her chair and settled her down on his lap, "Well, the birthday girl gets what the birthday girl wants."

Riley clutched onto her daddy's shirt, pinching the soft cotton fabric between her tiny fingers as her blue eyes focused on her actions. Klaus smiled fondly as he held her. He smoothed her curls out of her eyes, tucking it behind her ears before he wrapped his arms around her in a hug. Klaus nuzzled his lips into her curls before tucking her beneath his chin and just held her in his arms, softly rocking her as he hugged her. He closed his eyes and just absorbed their quiet, peaceful moment. He just loved his baby girl so much. A hand appeared on his shoulder, the touch was soft and pleasant, causing Klaus to open his eyes.

"Here's your food, darlin," Dave said as he set the plate in front of Klaus. He sat in the chair beside him before he leaned over and kissed his cheek. "You want me to hold her for a bit while you eat?"

"Nah, I've got her. Thank you, baby." Klaus straightened his posture, smiling at Dave and his siblings when they each took a seat across from them at the table. He shifted Riley on his lap so that she was facing forward.

The family sat around the table together to enjoy the delicious meal that Klaus had worked so hard to prepare. They talked, and joked around with one another and enjoyed the ambiance of each other's company. Klaus picked at his meal, eating a bite or two before switching so that he was feeding Riley. He laughed when her eyes lit up and she excitedly reached for the fork when she had her first taste of the Mac and cheese. He would feed her a couple of bites before eating a few himself, this was their ritual whenever they would eat. Riley refused to eat off of her own plate and always had to share with her daddy. Diego and Ben kept poking fun at one another, and exclaiming how amazing of a cook Klaus was. Klaus was sure to explain how he had Dave to thank for that, and how he couldn't even boil water when they first met. He was sure to tell his brothers the story of how he literally almost burnt Ben's house down his first attempt when he burnt a pot of water.

"How do you burn a pot of water, Klaus?" Diego asked through his snickering, he'd never heard of such an absurdity.

"Simple, you overcook it. As it turns out, if you let it keep boiling, the water eventually evaporates! Who knew?"

"Literally everyone." Ben exclaimed as he laughed.

They all smiled a lot that day, and the entire atmosphere within the home was so much brighter, warmer and full of so much _love_. When they finished eating, Dave took everyone's plates before returning with smaller plates filled with slices of birthday cake. Klaus took a sip of water from his cup, which Riley eagerly tried to grab at so he was sure to hold it to her lips so she could get a few sips.

"Is she ready to smash some cake?" Dave asked when he slid Riley's smash cake in front of her. She babbled as she eyed the cake eagerly, her small arms reaching forward and trying to grab it. Klaus laughed at her silly antics.

"We need to sing her happy birthday first!" Ben said, a wide smile spread across his features. The family all smiled as they watched Klaus hold Riley and they all chorused together to sing:

"_Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dearest Riley—Happy birthday to you!_"

"And many more!" Ben's and Diego sang loudly. Ben videotaped the entire beautiful moment, and was sure to capture Riley's very first taste of birthday cake. Her reaction did not disappoint.

Riley's face lit up when she tasted the sweet flavor of the birthday cake, her mouth forming into an exaggerated _'oh'_. She looked at Klaus and Dave as if to say "why haven't I had this before?!" before she grabbed it by the fist full and stuffed them into her mouth. Everyone laughed, tears in their eyes as she continued to shovel the cake into her mouth, and sucked on her hands to enjoy every ounce of the sweet concoction on her fingers she seemingly didn't care to waste. The frosting was everywhere, all over her face, in her hair, all over her arms and her chest. Klaus could hardly breathe. He was laughing so hard that he started to cough. Dave patted his back to help him regain his breath, laughing all the while before he decided that she had probably had just about enough cake for the night.

"Okay, princess, I think that's enough for now, or we will never get you to bed later," he reached for her, pulling her messy little body into his arms before whisking her out of the dining room. "I'm just going to clean her up a bit, we will be right back."

Klaus watched them go, smiling fondly as he waved goodbye to his little princess, listening to her loud sugar fueled squealing trailing towards the bathroom. He propped his elbows on the table and rested his cheek on one of his hands for a moment to finish regaining his breath after that giggle fit.

"God, she is too stinkin cute," Ben started as he turned his focus back towards his brother. "She is going to be bouncing off the walls tonight," he laughed as he took another bite of his own cake.

"I know," started Klaus, pushing his half eaten cake away. "She's my silly little stinker. Hopefully we can get all of that energy out of her and she will conk out come bedtime."

"Speaking of bedtime, how are you holding up?" asked Diego as he watched Klaus lounge at the table. Klaus smiled to assure them he was alright before he sat up straight, laying his hands in his lap.

"Me? _Pfft_, I'm great," he leaned back in his chair to stretch out the tight muscles in his back. "Really, I'm fine, but more than that - _I'm happy_, Diego. Really, really happy."

Klaus's smile was soft but full of such a sensational warmth as he peered between his two brothers.

"I can't believe you're both here right now, I can't even put into words to describe how happy having you two here to share this with me makes me feel," he paused to discreetly wipe a tear from his eyes before he continued. "My baby girl is a year old today, can you believe that?" he asked as he leaned forward, folding his arms on the table. "I've been lucky enough to call myself that little angel's daddy for an entire _year_ already. Me? A daddy, and _she_ made me that. This beautiful, wonderful life I've been lucky enough to live is all because of _her_, and the both of _you_. I never, ever in a million years would have ever pictured me like this: singing lullabies in the middle of the night, cradling this tiny, fragile perfect little human being that I somehow was foolish enough to make, and yet she has brought such an overwhelming sensation of joy into my heart. I have never been happier, ever. And now—_now_ I have Ben here in person to celebrate her first year of life, and I have you, Diego? I just—I am so _happy_."

Klaus pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes when his tears started to form and trail down his cheeks. Ben and Diego each stood from their positions at the table and went to Klaus, wrapping their arms around their brother and giving him the biggest hug he had ever received. Klaus exhaled a laugh, wrapping his own arms around his siblings in an embrace. He hadn't even realized how many emotions were bottled up within his soul, it felt nice to finally let them all out, and to finally thank his brothers for helping him attain such a beautiful life. The brothers all pulled away, wiping at their own eyes as they laughed at their own emotional behavior.

"Here," Klaus grabbed his plate before he reached for his siblings, "let me clear the table—" he went to stand but Ben laid his palm on his shoulder to stop him.

"No, you just sit, let me."

"Benny, you just got home, allow me—"

"Klaus, you've done more than enough today already, really. I've got it. Diego and I will clean this up and put the food away, why don't you go sit in the living room and when Dave and Riley come back we can all watch her open her presents?"

Klaus nodded his head in agreement when Ben and Diego rallied around the table, collecting the plates and forks, the demolished remnants of what once could have been considered a cake, as well as any cups, or napkins that littered the dirty table. Klaus offered to at least wash the sticky icing from the tabletop and where it spilled onto his chair and the floor, but Ben insisted he just go sit and relax in the living room instead. Klaus took a few moments to stand, he was feeling significantly better now that he had eaten, but he was still rather tired and didn't want to trigger a spell of vertigo should he stand too quickly. Once he was vertical and felt confident enough to move, he slowly made his way into the living room where he sat himself on the edge of the couch. He was thankful, really, for all of Dave and his brothers' help in the end. He was definitely starting to feel his fatigue catch up to him, and while he hated it, and knew that he would fight it off for as long as he possibly could so that he could enjoy this day, and spend time with his daughter and his family, he honestly didn't know how much longer he could stay awake.

"All clean!" Dave cheered as he entered the living room holding Riley. "Sorry it took so long, there was cake in places where it should never be, so I opted to just give the little monster a full scale bath." He laughed when he sat beside Klaus on the couch. Riley started squirming and reaching for her daddy as soon as she laid her eyes on him.

"Dada!" Klaus smiled softly at his daughter. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her onto his lap where the two held onto each other in a tender embrace.

"She sure loves her daddy, huh?" Diego noted as he and Ben re-entered the living room as well, holding boxes upon boxes of gifts wrapped up decoratively and adorned with bows.

"He _is_ her favorite person," Dave affirmed proudly. He smiled at Klaus, rubbing his palm up and down his back. He reached over and kissed his boyfriend's cheek which Klaus happily leaned into seeking Dave's touch. Klaus rested his head against Dave's shoulder while he smiled down at his daughter.

"Are you ready to open your presents, princess?" Riley giggled excitedly, kicking her legs while she tried to wriggle herself from her daddy's arms. Klaus laughed softly before he allowed her to sit on the padded mats on the floor in front of the couch. Klaus slid himself onto the floor as well, positioning himself behind his daughter.

"Open mine first, Riles!" Ben knelt down beside Klaus and Riley and handed her his present. She grabbed onto it and shook it before looking between Ben and Klaus not knowing what to do. Both men laughed, their hands helping to guide her tiny hands in opening the gift.

"Oh my god, Benny, that's—that's amazing, wow!" Klaus's eyes filled with tears when Riley held up the gift Ben had given her. It was a personalized '_Riley's First Beautiful Year of Adventures!_' book, filled with illustrations of his daughter. Every page was lined with the photos Klaus and Dave had sent to Ben, as well as quotes and snippets from each of Klaus's letters. Klaus grabbed a hold of Ben's hand and gave it a squeeze to let him know how much he truly appreciated this. It was such a well thought out and beautiful gift, something that they all could look at and admire for years to come, and remember each second in time captured within each and every single page. "Thank you, Benny."

They continued to open presents, Riley would fidget with the wrapping paper, trying to pry each gift open herself, but ultimately it always ended up being her daddy or one of her uncles who freed each gift. She had so many presents: clothes, toys, a piggy bank that Dave had already started filling with money for her. Klaus smiled as he looked around at all of her gifts; so many wonderful things from so many people who all shared a love for his daughter. Time went on and Dave had already picked up the mess of discarded wrapping paper off of the living room floor, as well as organized Riley's new loot of gifts onto the dining room table. Everyone was situated on the floor now, and Riley was walking back and forth between each person and giving them the one gift she loved to give most—hugs.

A couple of hours passed, and the sun had already long since dipped below the horizon, prompting Dave and Ben to walk around turning on the living room lights so that they could all continue to enjoy the festivities. Diego and Ben were tag teaming tickling Riley, her loud squeals of joy filled the air like an orchestra from the heavens above. Dave was sitting on the couch laughing and taking pictures and videos on his phone, while Klaus was sandwiched between Dave's legs, resting his cheek on his knee with his arms wrapped around his calf. He was smiling at the scene before him. He loved watching his daughter so happy, he loved having his two favorite brothers back in his life, and he especially loved sharing all of these precious moments, and creating these beautiful memories together with his wonderful family.

Riley was clumsily running around the room playing hide and seek with her uncles. She would go into the kitchen, or hide behind the bundles of balloons while Ben or Diego would go look around the house for her while holding their hands up in the air in mock confusion asking each other if they'd seen her, only for her giggling to instantly give her position away.

Ben was holding her in his arms blowing raspberries on her tummy causing her to squeal and flop around tirelessly to escape his grasp. Klaus laughed while he watched, before Ben set her down and she ran to her daddy, flopping down against his chest. Klaus hugged her close, wrapping his arms around her in a hug and rubbing her back. He closed his eyes and kissed her curls before she stood back up. She smiled at Klaus, cupping her daddy's cheeks in her hands while she just looked her daddy in his eyes. He smiled back, gently lacing his fingers around her delicate little wrists. She leaned forward and kissed her daddy before pulling away and running away from him. Riley stopped and turned back towards Klaus, as if to say 'daddy, come and get me!' before she ran away again.

"Uh-oh, she wants her daddy to play now, too!" Diego noted as he watched Riley egging her daddy on. Klaus laughed as he peeled himself away from Dave.

"Alright, princess, if you insist," Klaus leveraged himself off of the floor and took a step forward towards his daughter. "Ready or not, here I—" maybe he stood up too quickly, or maybe he hadn't eaten enough that day, or perhaps he hadn't drank enough water. Whatever the reason, Klaus wasn't sure, but the next thing he knew he was in Dave and Diego's arms, their concerned faces hovering above his own as they eased him down gently onto the couch.

"Klaus, what the hell, bro, are you okay?" Diego asked as he laid a steadying hand on his shoulder when he swayed dizzily from his seated position against the cushions. Ben approached them, cradling Riley in his arms.

"What happened?" he asked when he took in Klaus's disoriented expression.

"Darlin," Dave cupped Klaus's cheek in his palm when he sat beside his love on the sofa. He leaned closer, his concerned blue gaze meeting Klaus's hooded green eyes, "are you okay?"

"What, _M'fine_—"

"Klaus, you almost passed out. Thank god Dave was right there or you would have eaten shit." Diego cupped his hand behind his brother's neck, he and Dave exchanged a glance before Dave pressed his palm to Klaus's forehead to find he wasn't running a temperature.

"Maybe it's about time you head to bed. It's getting pretty late—"

"No, no," Klaus shrugged everyone off of him, shaking his head and rubbed at his eyes. "I'm fine, I just got up too fast."

"Klaus, I think we all can agree that isn't the case," Ben interjected as he and Riley squatted before him. "You can't keep pushing yourself like this. When was the last time you got a full night's sleep, hm?"

Klaus averted his gaze, not wanting to admit the truth. It had been a couple of months since his last true, full night of sleep. He was lucky if he got a full three hours any given night anymore; even less than that the last few nights in a row. Anytime he closed his eyes it felt like his nightmares would just jolt him awake. He couldn't take it anymore, he hated feeling this way. No longer did he seem to have good days, or bad. _Everyday_ had been a bad day since Dave started his new position. Klaus would never admit that, though. He refused to allow his family to worry over him. It was stupid, really, not to mention it would be incredibly selfish of him if he were to ask Dave to quit; beg for him to stay home with him and Riley just because he so happens to sleep better, and his presence seems to keep Klaus's torment from the ghosts at bay. He was fine, he would get better, he just needed more time. Klaus's sight trailed down to his daughter's. Her sugar high was thankfully beginning to wear off, and she was quickly approaching the crash phase that accompanied it.

"No answer, huh? Yeah, that's what I thought. Klaus, you need to rest. You're doing great, trust me. Trust _all of us_, okay? You just need to make sure that you take care of yourself still and sleep."

"Guys, I swear I am, I'm just—" Klaus closed his eyes when the room began to tilt around him. He hated feeling this way. His hand gripped Dave's knee when he felt the world starting to slip out of his grasp. Suddenly hands were on him once more, forcing him to stay upright. He just didn't have any energy left. After everything he'd done all day, mixed with every emotion he'd been bombarded with, he just couldn't stay awake any longer, he couldn't.

"Easy, Klaus," Ben's hand reached out to press against his chest. Klaus's eyes fluttered as his energy continued to plummet, "Klaus, your trembling..."

"Maybe - maybe I should lay down." He peeled his eyes open, squinting past the haze that marred his vision, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, Klaus. You deserve to rest." Diego and Ben nodded in agreement as Dave looped his arm around his waist.

"I should get going anyways, Dora will wonder where I've been." Diego patted Klaus's knee before rising to his feet. Klaus outstretched his arm and grabbed a hold of his brother's hand.

"Diego—" Diego peered down at his brother, his weary gaze piercing his own, "please, don't be a stranger, okay?" Diego smiled before sitting back down on the couch. He looked Klaus straight in his eyes before pulling this brother into the tightest hug.

"Never again, I promise," Klaus smiled as the brothers pulled away, Diego's hands stayed against his shoulders. "In fact, I think we should make this a regular event. Family nights on Saturdays?"

"Deal." Klaus smiled as Diego pulled Riley in for a hug to say goodbye. She hugged her uncle back, and kissed his cheek, before Ben gathered her back into his arms. Diego waved one more time as he left the house, closing the door behind him. Ben held Riley in his arms. He stood up, and took a seat beside Klaus on the couch and laid his hand on his back. He could tell Klaus desperately needed to rest.

"Benny, I hope you're planning on staying for a while," Klaus stated softly, "I want to spend more time with you." Ben smiled at Klaus, ruffling his brother's curls.

"I have the next two weeks off from school, Klaus. You're stuck with me. Now, please, get some sleep. I promise, I'll see you in the morning." Klaus nodded and Dave and Ben helped him stand up. His head toggled when a wave of dizziness encompassed him, he knew he was tired, but hadn't realized just how badly his body needed to rest. Dave and Ben steadied him and helped guide him into the bedroom, before easing him down onto the bed.

"I'm kidnapping your daughter tonight so you can get some proper rest. Besides, I need to catch up on our cuddle time. Isn't that right honey bee?" Ben rocked Riley in his arms as her own eyes fluttered. She had her arms wrapped around his neck, and her legs wrapped around his chest while she tiredly looked at her daddy.

"Thank you, Ben. If you need a break let me know." Dave hugged them both goodnight before they left the couple alone in their bedroom. Dave quickly helped Klaus change into his pajamas, which mostly consisted of Dave doing all of the work since Klaus was barely hanging onto consciousness by a thread, before he curled up on the mattress beside his love. Klaus wrapped himself around Dave, nuzzling his face into the sweet spot between his shoulder and neck before he closed his eyes. Klaus felt all of his tension instantly melt away as his body relaxed against Dave's, his boyfriends strong arms wrapping him up protectively against the warmth of his bare chest.

"Thank you for today, baby. Thank you for bringing Diego back into my life, just thank you - for everything," Klaus exhaled a sigh before kissing Dave's jaw and relaxing even further into his touch. "God, it is so good to have you home."

"It's good to be home, darlin. This is where I belong, right here, with you," he held Klaus tighter, kissing his curls before he closed his own eyes. "Now, get some sleep. I'm not going anywhere, okay? You're alright, now; no one and nothing can harm you. I'll keep you safe, I promise."

"I love you, Dave," Klaus whispered as he finally closed his heavy eyes.

"I love you, Klaus." Dave held his love close as he kissed him, "Goodnight."

—

**Authors Note:** _This was one of my favorite chapters, it is just so soft overall lol I hope you all enjoyed it, too!_

_Thank you everyone who has commented and is following along to this story, there is only 4 chapters left of this one guys! I am writing a sequel for it. As always, if you are reading along and liking this story, please leave me a comment and tell me what you thought! I would love to hear from you! :)_


	14. What Happened To My Happy Ending?

The next two weeks were magical for Klaus. He couldn't honestly remember a time in his life when he had ever been more happy. He had Ben home with him every day for fourteen days, and they spent every waking moment together; talking, playing with Riley, catching up on their favorite television series, and just enjoying one another's company. Ben made sure that Klaus took it easy in those two weeks; he had always been well aware of the daily struggles Klaus was battling with his severe exhaustion, but after witnessing it first hand, and watching helplessly as Klaus nearly collapsed on Riley's birthday, he knew he needed to intervene while he had the chance and make sure that Klaus took better care of himself. Every day Ben forced Klaus to lay down for an hour long nap. He knew he may not always actually fall asleep, but even allowing his body to rest and recuperate was better than the constant busying his brother was always doing. Ben also took over all of the household chores while he was home; cooking, cleaning, laundry, bath time with Riley. Actually, he practically claimed Riley as his own the entire time he was home from school. Ben certainly didn't mind spending ample amounts of time with his precious niece, and while Klaus always protested, insisting that he was fine and assured his brother that he was absolutely capable of handling the workload he was now accustomed to, Ben was happy he was finally present for his sibling and could force his brother to take a step back and just take it easy.

Diego came over a lot more, too. Joining in on the merriment, helping Ben in spoiling their niece, while still ensuring that Klaus got to relax and rest between all of their fun. The brothers were both just happy that they could be there for Klaus when he clearly needed them the most. In the two weeks that Ben was home, Klaus's health was doing significantly better. He wasn't nearly as dizzy or lightheaded as he had been, and while he was still tired, he did have a bit more pep to his step. It was a welcome change to his usual chronic fatigue that he seemingly was never able to escape.

Klaus especially enjoyed the two days he had with Dave before he returned to work. They slept in late the morning after Riley's birthday, and Dave just rubbed Klaus's back and whispered words of love into his ear while the two men just cuddled in bed until the early afternoon. Finally, Klaus wasn't plagued by a single nightmare. He never would be whenever he was cradled within Dave's loving arms. Even once Dave returned to work, Klaus continued to have a long, healthy night's sleep. Having company, whether from Dave, or one of his siblings seemed to help chase his monsters away. He was happy, _truly_ happy.

Klaus was in high spirits, he was doing remarkably better. He was sleeping normal hours, and waking up feeling overall refreshed, but even still he just wasn't back to his full strength. Even with the introduction of his mandated daily naps, Klaus would still be left feeling exhausted come bed time, sometimes even much earlier, but his days with his brothers or Dave were always his best energy days. When Ben had to leave to return back to school Klaus felt his heart shatter. He was going to miss his constant support, their daily conversations, and just the warm presence his brother always brought with him. Ben made Klaus promise him that he would continue his daily naps seeing as how they seemed to help him, and he also made Diego promise to keep coming by to help Klaus and keep him company. Everyone agreed to continue doing everything they could to ensure that Klaus and Riley would be kept healthy, happy and safe, especially during the times when no one else could be around.

Klaus was cheerily humming a merry tune while he smiled at Riley; she was sitting in her high chair watching her daddy make their dinner. Klaus was in a good mood today. He'd just gotten off of the phone with Ben, and the two of them had been chatting for over an hour. Ben always had the best knack at making Klaus laugh. He also had quite a good skill of filling foolish ideas into Klaus's head. It was dinner time, and Ben mentioned that he wished he had some breakfast food, and well, that sounded amazing to Klaus, too, so now Klaus was busy making pancakes for him and Riley.

He poured the batter onto the griddle in multiple batches; regular sized for him, and mini's in the shape of hearts for Riley. Klaus smiled at his daughter, making her laugh as he pretended he was a teppanyaki chef, waving his hands in the air theatrically while tossing and catching his spatula, periodically dancing the metal against the lip of the griddle before flipping the pancakes over when the tiny bubbles formed, signaling to Klaus that they were ready to be flipped. Riley laughed wildly at her daddy's silly antics. He laughed, and smiled at his beautiful little girl, taking the finished pancakes off of the griddle before turning it off and unplugging the device. Klaus sat beside Riley and cut up their pancakes into bite sized pieces before he fed himself and his daughter. Riley nodded her head excitedly after each bite, her little legs kicking happily as she wrapped her fingers around Klaus's fork and helped her daddy guide the fluffy delicacy to her greedy lips. Klaus laughed, pushing her curls out of her eyes before kissing her stuffed and sticky cheeks.

"All done sweet pea! My, you really liked this meal, huh? Is daddy a pancake professional or what?" He grinned widely as she laughed, flinging her arms around excitedly. He only hoped that fueling her with a little sugar before bedtime hadn't been a mistake.

Klaus wiped Riley down with a washcloth, cleaning the sticky substance from her fingers and her face before letting her loose in the living room to play with her toys while he cleaned up the dishes and the mess in the kitchen. When he finished, Riley was sitting on the floor with her back to Klaus; he smirked as he approached his daughter, bending over and scooping her into his arms as he tickled her, blowing raspberries on her little belly and eliciting screeches of joy and laughter as she squealed in his grasp.

Klaus laughed, folding himself forward and tilting Riley upside down as he continued to tickle her, her curls dangling in tight ringlets and bouncing as she wriggled in her daddy's arms. Klaus smiled proudly as he straightened his posture, holding Riley tight against his chest as his daughter continued to laugh and wrap her arms around his neck.

Klaus's own laughter halted and he closed his eyes when he was suddenly hit with an intense bout of vertigo. He hadn't felt this dizzy since Riley's birthday party. Klaus stumbled a step, his free arm reaching out towards the wall to steady himself. He inhaled a deep breath and exhaled slowly through his mouth before he finally felt grounded enough to open his eyes. The room was no longer spinning, and thankfully Riley hadn't seemed to notice her daddy's sudden discomfort since she was still laughing. Klaus smiled at his daughter, releasing his hold on the wall to run the back of his fingers over her chubby smiling cheeks.

"Daddy needs to lay off all of this sugar, baby girl, it makes him too wild and crazy!" Klaus shook his head like a wet dog, his curls fanning around his face before bouncing back into place. Riley giggled and pressed her palms against her daddy's cheeks. He laughed softly, pressing their foreheads together and nuzzling his nose against hers. Klaus's eyelashes fluttered and he pulled away to rub at his temples while he settled himself down on one of the kitchen stools. In light of his little dizzy spell, Klaus decided that he should probably sit down for a moment with Riley to rest.

Klaus hated to admit it, mostly because everything in his life was finally going so well, but he couldn't help but feel a little concerned with a couple of new issues he'd been suffering from. While his vertigo and dizzy spells had lessened dramatically since Riley's birthday a few weeks ago, they were still an issue for him, and now Klaus was starting to have other problems. Klaus had recently started getting headaches, sometimes mild and only lasting a few minutes, other times they would be nearly debilitating and last for the entire day. They always seemed to follow the days after he had difficulty sleeping the night prior. What worried him more than that, however, was a sudden issue that started happening with his heart. Klaus started to notice the last week or so that sometimes he would get a sudden heart palpitation; a flutter in his chest that would leave him feeling strange. It would make him feel rather winded, sometimes it would almost feel like a chill ran through his body. Occasionally they hurt - not usually - but once or twice he did notice it as a painful clenching sensation. Klaus called his doctor immediately when these symptoms started to occur, but upon hearing that yes, he was still suffering from his fatigue and lack of sleep his doctor assured him that these symptoms were quite common to accompany such an illness. They informed him however that if they continued that it certainly wouldn't hurt to get it checked out, and that should they get worse they told him to seek medical attention immediately, but based off of all of his health issues over the past year, his doctors seemed unconcerned and were rather certain that was all that was responsible for causing these new symptoms. Klaus was relieved to hear that his doctor found nothing about this new issue to be particularly problematic, it certainly helped to put his mind at ease. He was just glad he didn't have a much bigger underlying issue like he was beginning to fear.

Klaus glanced at the clock on the oven and realized it was already nearly ten o'clock at night. It was nearing the time when Dave always called to kiss him goodnight. They'd done a wonderful job of keeping this tradition going. Every night Klaus would lay Riley down in her crib for the night and curl up in his and Dave's bed with his phone clutched above his chest excitedly awaiting his phone call.

Tonight would be no different.

"Come on sweetie, it's time to go night night, daddy Dave will be calling soon."

Using the kitchen counter to keep him steady, Klaus slowly leveraged himself off of the stool and brought Riley into their bedroom. He got her all ready for bed and laid her down in her crib. Klaus smiled as he bent over to kiss her, just happy that the pancakes hadn't backfired as she quickly exhaled a yawn before curling up and falling right to sleep. Klaus changed into his own pajamas before crawling under his blankets and pulling his phone to his chest. He glanced at the time - 10:27PM - just before he rested his head back against his pillow. Klaus inhaled a deep breath and smiled, knowing that Dave always called between this time and ten forty-five. He would be calling any minute.

Klaus clenched his eyes shut and sucked in a pained gasp when his heart spasmed in his chest. He groaned, rubbing his fingertips over his heart while he slowly peeled open his eyes and tried to focus on his breathing. He did not like this new issue at all, it worried him, but he tried to push that worry aside knowing that his doctor didn't find it alarming. Klaus continued to rub his chest as the minutes continued to tick by.

_Any minute Dave would call…_

Klaus was so tired, he only hoped that Dave would call sooner rather than later. He hadn't slept well the last two nights due to his nightmares. Last night he'd dreamt he was trapped in the mausoleum again; the shrieks of the dead calling to him once more, threatening him, telling him that soon he would be joining them. He'd awoken in a cold sweat and hadn't been able to fall asleep again for the rest of the night. That happened around two in the morning, and he ultimately had been unable to fall asleep during his daily nap today either, so he hadn't slept much at all. His eyelids felt so heavy and he was hopeful that tonight he would have better luck trying to sleep.

Klaus picked up his phone and looked at the time again - 11:15PM - Dave was late. He was _never_ late. Klaus just kept reminding himself that it wasn't that late yet, though. Maybe Dave had simply got caught up on a case. Klaus decided that must be it, everything was fine. He would give him the benefit of the doubt, surely he would call him soon.

More time continued to pass by and Klaus's heart was fluttering with anxiety. He rubbed his chest, exhaling a groan of discomfort when he realized the time. 12:45AM. _Two hours._ Dave was two hours late calling for their kiss goodnight. In the months since they first started this ritual Dave had never been late. Not even once. Two hours was a long time. Klaus's breathing picked up as he continued to rub at his chest. Dave always called, always. He knew how badly Klaus worried. Even if he was unable to talk on the phone, surely he would have text him to let him know the reason why he hadn't called yet. Klaus forced his eyes shut to focus on steadying his breathing, he was just about to give up hope and cave and call Dave himself when his phone finally rang. Klaus hurriedly answered, holding the phone to his ear.

"Baby, you're late, I was so—"

"_Klaus_…"

Klaus's stomach dropped when it wasn't Dave's voice who greeted him, but his brother, Diego's. Why was he calling at this hour? Why wasn't this his boyfriend? Where was Dave?

"Diego, why are you—"

"Klaus, there's been a—are-are you sitting down? Where are you right now?" Klaus immediately sat up in bed and drew his knees to his chest, his eyes widened with fear as he cupped the phone tighter to his ear.

"I'm laying in bed. Diego, what's going on, what's wrong? Are you—"

"Klaus, I'm so sorry, man." Klaus felt his breathing pick up as tears filled his eyes. What was Diego talking about, sorry for what?

"I don't understand, what-what are you sorry for? Are you alright, Di? What—"

"Dave's been shot."

Klaus felt his breath hitch in his throat. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't hear, or see. He didn't know how to form into words what thoughts were going through his mind at that moment, he couldn't even process his brother's words right now. Dave, his boyfriend, the love of his life—was _shot_?

"W-what?" he finally stammered, the words were weak, and broken as he forced them from his mouth, "No. N-no, Diego. That can't—that can't be, he-Dave-he's supposed to call. He, I—I need to go, Dave is supposed to call any s-second, I—"

"Dave isn't going to call Klaus."

"No, Diego..." Klaus's heart was hammering wildly in his chest. He groaned, pressing the heel of his palm against his heart, rubbing circles to try to soothe the pain there. His tears were freely falling, now. A choked sob burst passed his lips as they wobbled with anguish. "Please, please, that can't be—he...he..."

"Shhh, it's okay, Klaus. Calm down, try to breathe for me, okay?" Diego could hear the unsteady breaths from his brother, he needed him to hold it together. "His last case of the night turned south, it was an ambush. He was shot three times. Once in the chest, his arm and his abdomen. His Kevlar vest is the only reason he's still alive. His worst injury was the bullet to his arm. Thank god he refused to work without a vest, always said he had too many people back home he needed to live for." Klaus could almost hear the smile in his brother's tone at that statement.

"I need to see him, Diego. Riley and I, we-we will be right there—" Klaus frantically threw his blankets off of his body and quickly clambered to his feet, but the room swam around him dizzyingly and his vision instantly blurred. Klaus all but fell back down into a seated position on the mattress, he twisted his fingers into the blanket to steady himself while he closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath. Klaus was so dizzy, and his head hurt so badly, but he couldn't just sit there and do nothing while Dave was hurt and needed him. Besides, Klaus knew that he was fine, he'd just stood up too abruptly. He would be okay in a couple of minutes once he caught his breath. "W-which hospital is he at, Diego? I need...I need to see him." He asked through his panted gasps.

"No, Klaus. You two stay put," Diego tried to soothe his brother, "Dave's in surgery, there's nothing that you or I can do for him right now. The best thing that you can do is try to rest, okay? It's late—"

"I can't sleep, Diego. Not when...not when—" Klaus cupped his hand over his mouth as a strangled sob echoed from his throat. Klaus tried to silence his cries, he didn't want to disturb his daughter. He didn't want to alert her to the severity of the situation surrounding their family.

"I'll be right there, okay? Just give me an hour tops. I'll be over soon, you don't have to be alone." Klaus couldn't even respond to his brother, he was too distraught to form a sentence. He simply forced himself to suck in a deep breath and exhale another pained cry. Diego reassured his brother that everything was going to be fine before they hung up the phone.

Klaus stayed where he was propped on the lip of his mattress and continued to cry. How could this happen? Why, why Dave? Klaus suddenly felt so sick, his head was spinning and his heart was aching from the pain of knowing that his love was hurt, or _worse_—what if he—Klaus gagged. It hit him suddenly, the nausea, and he tried to swallow it back, as he fought to keep the bile down. But his nerves were shot, and his anxiety was through the roof, and the harder he tried to fight it off the stronger the urge became. He clamped his shaky hand over his mouth and rose to his feet. His legs were unsteady, and the room danced around him because he was so dizzy. Klaus had to steady himself on the wall as he made his way into the hallway, but he did eventually make it to his bathroom. Klaus collapsed onto his knees in front of the bowl, his fingers clutching onto the toilet seat as he expelled the contents of his stomach. He wailed as he heaved, his stomach protesting the news of Dave's predicament just as badly as he himself was. Klaus stayed knelt there for quite some time, long enough for his belly to become vacant and his voice to grow hoarse from his wails.

"No, Dave! Why—why, please...no, no, no, no, no..." he cried and screamed into the bowl of the toilet, tears blinding his eyes as they traveled down his cheeks. He fought to catch his breath while he draped his hand over his upset stomach. Klaus continued to cry, pleading to whomever was listening, he didn't care if it was to god or a neighbor at this point, he just needed to put it out into the universe, needed it to be known that they couldn't take Dave away from him. He couldn't lose him. Klaus pushed himself away from the toilet, sitting on his pockets and pressed his back against the wall to try to focus on his breathing. He rocked his head back and forth as he continued to cry, gut wrenching sobs shaking his frame. He gasped, his hand darting to his chest when his heart clenched painfully. Klaus couldn't breathe for a moment, the pain was too strong. It eventually receded and he was able to struggle to suck in a breath when Riley started to cry in her crib.

"I-I'm coming, baby," Klaus slowly hauled himself onto his feet, gripping the bathroom counter to assist him and stood there rooted to the spot for a moment. He needed to catch his breath, and he needed to calm down. Klaus looked at his reflection in the mirror, his distress was painted obviously across his features. He didn't want his daughter to see him like this. With shaky hands, Klaus turned on the faucet and cupped the water, splashing it onto his face. He turned the water off and planted his palms against the counter and leaned all of his weight heavily into his hands. Klaus closed his eyes and tried to take in long breaths. His heart was pounding and he was so tired, and scared. He thought that he had managed to calm himself down enough when his lip started quivering again and a pained cry escaped his lips. His shoulders shook as another sob tore through him, when his daughter's own crying intensified and he straightened. She needed her daddy, she would just have to accept him as he was, a blubbering mess of a heartbroken fool. "Daddy's coming."

Klaus sucked in a short gasp as he entered his bedroom and pulled Riley into his arms. His daughter instantly wrapped her arms around her daddy, burying her face against his tear dampened neck and just held onto him. Her own crying calmed almost immediately and Klaus couldn't help but to hold onto her, and just absorb her presence against his broken heart.

"Everything is going to be okay, princess." Klaus assured his daughter as he rocked her in his arms, while more tears continued to trail over his cheeks, "Daddy Dave is going to be okay. He has to be."

—-

Diego didn't know what to expect when he arrived at Klaus's, but his heart tanked the moment he first laid his eyes on his brother. Klaus's arms were wrapped around his daughter in a tight embrace, he was shaking and his sobs that he was emitting broke Diego's heart. He didn't think he'd ever seen his brother so emotionally devastated. Klaus was pacing the floors, humming sounds of distress before sucking in a quick gasp of air. He didn't sound good, and judging by the unsteady way he was breathing, Diego guessed that he'd probably been struggling like this since they got off of the phone together over an hour ago.

"Klaus, hey, I'm here." Diego approached his brother and laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Klaus just groaned to acknowledge his presence. "Why don't you sit down for a minute, bro. You need to take it easy." Klaus didn't even protest as Diego led him to the couch and helped guide him to sit down. Klaus's eyes were clenched closed and his shoulders continued to shake with each of his sobs. Riley peered at her daddy, her own tiny features contorted with concern as her hands found her daddy's cheeks.

"Dada?" She cooed while her fingers swept across his anguished features and wiped at his many tears. Klaus opened his eyes and looked at his daughter. He exhaled a strangled laugh as he gazed into her worried blue eyes.

"I'm so sorry, princess. Daddy's a mess right now," he whispered before closing his eyes once again, as more tears tumbled down his cheeks.

"Just try to take a deep breath, Klaus," Diego instructed as he listened to Klaus's labored breathing, "Why don't I hold Riley for a little bit, I need you to try to breathe, you're going to hyperventilate if you keep breathing like this."

Diego gently took Riley into his own arms and his niece wrapped her arms and legs around Diego while she kept a steady watchful eye on her daddy.

"Sorry it took me so long to get here. Eudora called with an update—"

Klaus's attention perked at that. "How is he?" he asked as his bloodshot eyes met his brothers worried browns.

"He's still in surgery. He was lucky, though, no major organs were hit. The blow to his chest will leave a nasty bruise, but thankfully he was wearing a vest. His shoulder took the brunt of it, miraculously the bullet didn't hit any bone, just fucked up the muscles and tendons. Then the shot to his abdomen was just a graze. They're saying he's going to be okay, Klaus."

"Oh, thank god!" Klaus wailed while he buried his eyes into his palms, as a new set of sobs wracked his already trembling frame, "I can't lose him, Diego—I just can't!"

"Hey, Shh," Diego sat on the couch beside Klaus and threw his free arm around his brother, pulling him against his chest. Klaus curled himself against Diego's side, burying his face against his shoulder as his fingers clung onto his uniform like a lifeline, twisting the material in his grasp. "Just breathe, Klaus. He's going to be okay—"

"I need to see him, Diego—"

"He's in surgery, and even then visiting hours aren't until morning." Klaus pulled away and clenched his eyes shut. He stifled a groan and ran his palm over his chest when his heart fluttered uncomfortably again. His breath hitched and his lips struggled to suppress his distressed whimpering. Diego frowned as he watched how erratic Klaus's breathing was, and how awful he looked. He glanced at the time that was displayed on the clock and realized how late it was. Diego placed his hand on Klaus's shoulder and tried to look him in his eyes. "I think you should drink some water, alright? And then you need to sleep—"

"I can't—I can't sleep, Diego. I just can't." Klaus inhaled a sharp breath as he continued to cry.

"Listen to me, I need you to try, okay? Dave would murder me if I let anything bad happen to you, you need to sleep, bro."

Klaus wanted to fight against his brother's request, he wanted to throw himself off of the couch and run to Dave and pull his love into his arms, but he knew that he couldn't do that right now. Dave was in surgery, he was going to be okay, but it was still killing Klaus to know that he was having someone cut open his body and remove bullets and repair damage to his love and he couldn't even be there for him to hold his hand, or be there to support him. Klaus opened his mouth to speak but the only sound to come out was a sharp inhale of air when his heart spasmed painfully once again. He wrenched his eyes shut and clenched his jaw tightly closed from his pain. Klaus tried to inhale a deep breath, but it hurt so badly and he was already so distressed.

This was the worst his heart had ever felt before. Usually it was occasional flutters, but this was all so much more painful than it had ever been. Klaus attributed it to his obvious stress and decided it was a safe bet to shrug it off, though. Of course his heart was aching—it was _broken_, shattering at the thought of anything happening to his love. Klaus groaned when Diego laid his hands on his shoulder and knelt before him, he hadn't even realized he was trying to get his attention.

"Klaus, are you okay?" Klaus's eyes finally opened, his vision was blurred by his tears but he could still see the concern on his brother's face, "You look like shit. You need to sleep, bro, it's late. Come on, let's get you to bed. At least for a few hours." Diego hooked his arm beneath Klaus's and helped haul him onto his feet. Diego noticed immediately how unsteady Klaus was, how badly he was trembling, how much he was struggling to breathe. "Jesus, Klaus, seriously, are you alright? When was the last time that you slept?"

"I'm fine, Di. I'm just...worried, I'm fucking scared. Why Dave? W-why did this have to happen to him?" Klaus asked through his sobs. Diego just tightened his grip around his brother as he led him into his bedroom and helped ease him down onto his mattress.

"Shh, try not to think about that right now. You need to focus on you, okay? Dave will be fine, I'm going to need you to close your eyes and focus on calming your breathing down for me, alright?" Diego instructed Klaus before he laid Riley down in her crib. She curled up and fell asleep quickly, and Diego took a seat beside his brother on his bed.

"I can't focus on that, not when—"

"Klaus, stop. Come on, calm down." Diego grabbed a hold of Klaus's hand, pulling it between both of his own palms as he gripped it tightly, running his hand up and down his arm. "Breathe in deep through your nose," he instructed while he mimicked the action himself, "and exhale slowly through your mouth. In...out...in...out..." Klaus struggled to copy his actions, but over time he was eventually able to steady his breathing.

"I'm so tired, Di. So tired, and so scared." Klaus whispered. His lips were quivering as more tears fell from his exhausted, puffy eyes. Diego smiled softly at his brother as he wiped away his tears.

"I know, Klaus. I know you're scared, but Dave's strong. He's going to be okay. Get some sleep. When you wake up we will go see him, okay?" Klaus could only nod as he finally allowed himself to drift into a restless sleep.

—-

_Klaus opened his eyes slowly when he heard what sounded like the front door trying to be opened and he idly wondered who that could be at this hour. He peered around his bedroom and realized Riley was still asleep in her crib and Diego was asleep on the far end of the bed, curled up on his side and drooling like a baby. Klaus's head snapped towards his bedroom door when he heard the sound again. Everyone was here in the room, who could that be—_

_The door unlocked and opened and Klaus heard the distinct sound of boots against the tile floors and the door softly being closed._

_"Klaus?"_

_Klaus's heart hammered within his chest at the familiar voice._

_"Dave?" Klaus propped himself up on his elbows in bed._

_"Klaus, where are you?"_

_"Dave, I'm in the bedroom," he quickly scrambled to his feet. What was Dave doing home? How did he get released from the hospital so quickly?_

_"Klaus!"_

_"I'm coming baby, I'm coming!" Klaus quickly shrugged out of his blankets, tossing them back onto the bed and exited the bedroom before stepping out into the hallway. All of the lights were off; Diego must've forgotten they always leave the bathroom light on for a nightlight. He stumbled down the hall until he stepped into the living room. Klaus's hand wandered aimlessly up and down the wall until it found the light switch, and he quickly flipped it on. Dave was there, smiling brilliantly when their eyes finally met._

_"Oh baby, thank god! I was so worried!" Klaus ran towards Dave, both men's arms were outstretched reaching towards each other._

_"I'm so sorry, darlin! I never meant to worry you, I love you so much. I'm okay, I'm here, I—"_

_Dave never got the chance to finish his sentence. Klaus gasped, his steps faltering to a halt as a gust of darkness blew past him, forming a blockade between himself and Dave. The darkness expanded; growing and taking shape, or rather many shapes, as it formed a wall between them. Klaus's heart shuddered at the sight._

_Ghosts.._

_Hundreds of them. Dead, evil soulless corpses that were now blocking his path to his love. Dave's face fell as the wraiths surrounded him, and Klaus's breath hitched in his throat when he saw the fear in Dave's ocean blue eyes._

_"Klaus, I—" Dave's words bubbled from his mouth in a stream of his own blood. Klaus tried to scream his name, tried to push his way through the sea of the dead to get to his love as their wretched arms wrapped around Dave, dragging him away. Klaus's heart pounded painfully in his chest as he watched Dave's injuries reopen before his eyes—large, bloody wounds forming on his chest, his arm and his abdomen as he continued to try to fight the ghosts off, tried to still reach out to Klaus, to call to him even though he was choking on his own blood._

_"Dave! No, you can't have him! Please!" Klaus took a step forward only for the barrier to expand. They were everywhere, now. No longer could Klaus see Dave, or anywhere else, all he could see were hundreds of evil faces staring right at him. The sight made him feel nauseous, his heart clenched painfully and he squeezed his eyes shut as he groaned, reaching for his chest._

_Suddenly it was quiet. So, disturbingly still. Klaus opened his eyes and the dead were even closer, now. They were all around him; breathing down his neck, their evil eyes watching him intently. What scared him the most however, was the way that they were looking at him._

_They were smiling…_

_Every single one of those awful, horrible faces were smiling right at him._

_"You're going to die, Klaus..."_

_"We told you that you would join us..."_

_"Dave can't protect you anymore..."_

_"No one can..."_

_"What? No—No!" Klaus tried to escape but he was trapped. They inched ever closer, pressing their decaying bodies against his own. Klaus gasped for breath, struggling for air but he couldn't breathe. "Please! Please, go away! My daughter needs me!"_

_A mangled petrified arm reached through the crowd and laid its ghastly hand against his chest, just above his heart. The corpse's smile widened as it laughed right in his face._

_"No one needs you, Klaus...but we do...you're going to die. You're going to join us very soon. Just like we told you." The demon jabbed his emaciated index finger accusingly against Klaus's chest, it's jagged nail digging into his skin._

_"S-stop...please, that h-hurts—" Klaus begged as the entity continued to prod harshly against his chest._

_"You're going to die! You're going to be one of us!"_

_"One of us, Klaus! Dead, just like us!" Their evil laughter filled the air and Klaus's heart pounded wildly in his chest and then—_

_Klaus gasped in agony as the hand stabbed through his chest, shredding through his flesh as it reached deep into his rib cage. Tears instantly flooded his eyes as the pain stole his breath away._

_This pain was real, oh god, was this really happening..._

_"Please..please, no...it's-it's s-so painful..." Klaus cried out in agony as he fell to his knees, his blood was gushing from his wound in his chest as his worst nightmare continued to explore his chest cavity with its demonic hand. Klaus groaned as his heart clenched painfully, the demon's black, soulless eyes met his own horrified green irises as it's smirk tightened against its ghastly features._

_"You're going to be dead soon, just like us." The entity stated with finality as it ripped Klaus's beating heart out of his chest._

—-

"Klaus!" Klaus sucked in a sharp breath as his hand shot to his heart. He cried out in pain, his breath hitching uncomfortably with each unsteady gasp he tried to take in. "What the fuck, bro, are you okay?"

Klaus groaned, tightening his grip above his heart, he still had the agonizing phantom pain from his dream. He unclenched his tear filled eyes and continued to try to steady his breathing.

_It was a dream…_

_It was only a dream…_

"Easy, Klaus, breathe. Christ, what's wrong? Are you alright?" Diego asked as he took in his brother's appearance. Klaus was unnaturally pale, and the way he was holding his chest was worrying him. "Seriously, bro, talk to me, are you okay?" Diego reached to lay his hand over Klaus's heart but Klaus pushed his unwarranted request away before quickly sitting up in bed. He closed his eyes when the action made the room spin. Klaus groaned while he continued to try to focus on catching his breath.

"I'm fine, Diego—"

"You don't seem fine—"

"I'm fine!" Klaus shouted. He whimpered when his heart spasmed painfully again and he continued to rub at his chest. "It was just a nightmare, I'm fine."

Klaus's lashes fluttered as he looked around the room. The sun was just starting to make its presence known as its soft rays barely illuminated through his drawn shades. Klaus loosened his grip on his chest before looking Diego in his eyes.

"I'm up. Please, take me to Dave now. I need to see him. Please, Diego…"

"Okay. Yeah, alright," Diego's shoulders slumped forward as his tension released and he ran his fingers through his short raven locks of hair. "Are you sure that you're okay?"

Klaus nodded as he weakly leaned against the headboard of his bed. He was exhausted, what little bit of sleep he had gotten was nothing short of terrible, but he felt a little relief in knowing that at least that terrifying experience was just another one of his ghastly nightmares. Undoubtedly the scariest one he thought he'd ever had, and the most realistic. He closed his eyes and rubbed at his heart again as it fluttered painfully in his chest. He really shouldn't stress himself out so much. It was only a dream, he was going to be okay. He was fine.

"Yes, now can we please go? I can't wait any longer, I need to see Dave. I need to hold him and make sure he's okay."

"Alright," Diego smiled sadly at Klaus while he patted his shoulder. "I'll give you a few minutes to get ready while I go feed Riley. Let's go see Dave." Klaus smiled sadly at his brother and nodded.

"Finally."

The ride to the hospital was mostly quiet, and thankfully for Klaus, fairly quick. Klaus was happy to learn that Dave was at Palms of Hope hospital, which was the closest to Ben's house. He knew he would have no problems walking there to visit Dave if he had to stay for a few days. It would be about a forty minute walk there and back, but it was much better than the hour and a half walk to Waycare Hills Hospital which was the next alternative.

Diego and Klaus walked through the front entryway and Diego told Klaus to take a seat in the lobby before he went to the reception desk to find out how soon until they could go see Dave. Klaus slumped his tired body into one of the hard plastic chairs and hugged Riley close to his chest. He closed his eyes and nuzzled his cheek to her curls while he ran his hand up and down his daughters back. Klaus's face screwed up in pain when his heart spasmed again. He hated that he felt this way, all of this stress over Dave, and now that hellacious nightmare mixed with his lack of sleep was really making his anxiety flare up. Klaus felt like shit. He was unbearably tired, and he was still feeling a little dizzy even as he sat, and his anxiety was making his chest just still not feel quite right. Klaus tried taking deep steadying breaths to calm his rampaging heart.

A hand draped over his shoulder and Klaus gasped as he startled awake, he hadn't even realized he was starting to nod off. His hand shot to his chest when the person retracted their hand.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you!" It was Dave's sister, Emily. Oh god, how could he have forgotten to call Dave's family? Emily recognized the look of distress on Klaus's face and sat beside him, laying her hand over his knee. "Oh, honey. How are you holding up?"

Klaus's emotions instantly bubbled over and he started to cry, his shoulders shaking with each of his silent sobs. Emily frowned and threw her arms around him, pulling Klaus into a tight embrace.

"I'm so sorry," Klaus whispered through his tears. "I'm sorry I-I didn't call you, I'm just so worried. God, I'm such a wreck."

"Hey, shhh, you have nothing to be sorry for, hon. It's okay," Emily pulled away to push Klaus's curls out of his eyes, her motherly instincts were kicking in. She smiled sadly at him, their sorrowful eyes meeting before she wiped at his tears. "This is a lot to take in. We are all scared, but we are all in this together. Dave is going to be okay." Klaus nodded sadly as more tears spilled over his cheeks and Emily pulled him back into her arms. She rocked him while he cried and Klaus felt a little pathetic because of it. He felt like he should be rocking her, not the other way around, but he was just so emotionally devastated right now that he couldn't even bring himself to care.

Emily talked to Klaus to take his mind off of the situation, and to try to soothe his broken heart. She explained that she was the only one of Dave's family who could make it today since her husband Joe was away on a business trip. Robbie, Dani's husband, was out of town for a funeral, and that left Dani to watch all of the kids by herself. Klaus couldn't help but to feel a little guilty for having Riley here at the hospital; hospitals were notoriously known for being riddled with germs and he knew it would have been better to have someone watch her, but he was so worried about Dave that the idea entirely slipped his mind. Not that he had anyone he could turn to for that, anyways. He certainly wouldn't expect Dani to watch her, she already had her hands plenty full with the other three hooligans. Slowly Klaus was starting to feel a little bit better, Emily's soft voice and delicate touch was helping to smooth down his frayed nerves. He was thankful that Emily was here for him to talk to. Klaus hugged Riley tighter against his chest. She had fallen asleep in her daddy's arms. He cradled her to his heart and kissed her curls just as Diego approached the three of them and all of their eyes instantly shifted to him.

"We can go see him now."

Klaus nodded and wiped at his tears. Emily was on her feet right away, while it took Klaus a few minutes to stand. All of his crying left him feeling rather lightheaded. He groaned when the room started spinning, his knees started to feel weak and his heart fluttered quickly within his chest. Emily frowned and was immediately at his side, she braced her palm against his back to steady him.

"Are you okay?" she asked when her worried blue eyes studied his pale features. Klaus could only nod and send her a reassuring smile as he adjusted Riley in his arms.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just tired, I didn't get much sleep." She nodded sadly and ran her palm up and down his back for a moment to soothe him. Klaus smiled at her appreciatively as his world stopped spinning and he eventually started to feel a little more grounded. Klaus exhaled a long breath and the family finally made their way through the hallway of the hospital together to go and see Dave.

When they opened the door to Dave's hospital room Klaus's heart instantly clenched with pain at the sight of seeing his love like that. He was asleep, but he just looked so frail, so not like himself. Klaus had never seen Dave look so weak, so tired, so sick or so vulnerable before. Dave had always been so strong, and had always been Klaus's savior. Seeing him like _this_; laying in a hospital bed and knowing he could have lost him—it physically hurt Klaus's heart to see Dave in such a terrible state. A sob wracked Klaus's frame, his crying picked right back up and intensified at seeing his love in such a disadvantaged way. Klaus covered his mouth to try to silence his cries, he didn't want to wake his daughter, or Dave. He didn't want to disturb anyone at all with his wailing, but Klaus's breathing and cries only seemed to get stronger. Emily and Diego exchanged a concerned glance and Diego pulled a chair over to Dave's bedside, positioning it so that it was as close to the bed as possible.

"Why don't you take a seat by Dave, Klaus." Diego urged as he patted the seat of the chair. Klaus sucked in a sharp breath and Emily draped her arm around his lower back and ushered him to the seat.

"Here, hon take a seat." Klaus could only nod in response when Emily guided him to the chair and helped him sit down.

"How about I hold Riley for a little while, you just sit and relax for a bit, okay Klaus?" Diego took Riley's slumbering form into his arms. She didn't so much as stir; she just wrapped her arms around his neck and cuddled herself up closer to her uncle.

Klaus wiped at his tears and ran his palms down his thighs before taking Dave's hand of his uninjured arm into his own. Klaus leaned forward and cupped Dave's face in his free hand, gently stroking his cheek with the pad of his thumb. Klaus's lip quivered as more tears spilled over his cheekbones. He glanced at his family before returning his attention to Dave.

"I hate this. He shouldn't be here, he shouldn't be hurt." Klaus inhaled an unsteady breath and ran his fingers through Dave's curls. Everyone voiced their agreement at it being wrong for Dave to be like this. It was unnatural and unsettling for all of them. "I'm so sorry this happened to you, baby," Klaus whispered before moving his hand to join his other in holding Dave's hand.

Klaus's face screwed up when his heart twinged painfully again within his chest. He closed his eyes and tried to will his pain away. He was so tired, so stressed out, and so unbelievably scared for his love. Klaus rested his weary head against Dave's hospital bed, he buried his forehead into the uncomfortable material and just tried to focus on the fact that Dave was still here. He was alive, and his hand was within his own. Klaus concentrated on his breathing, tried to calm his racing heart, and tried to remind himself that Dave was okay.

Klaus was so tired. So unbelievably drained from the day's events he wondered if he could even sleep right here, just rest his eyes, if even for just a few minutes...

Dave inhaled a deep breath, just as his fingers tightened around Klaus's hand. Klaus's eyelashes fluttered and opened and he leveraged himself upright so that he was sitting up. Klaus's wobbly lips instantly tugged into a smile when he met Dave's beautiful ocean blue eyes, his own features displayed a stunningly warm grin.

"Hey...hey, baby..." Klaus whispered breathily as he tightened his grip on Dave's hand.

"Hello beautiful," Dave said softly but with a broad smile. Klaus laughed pitifully at Dave's words, while more tears continued to trail down his cheeks as he pinched his eyes shut. Dave frowned softly at the sight of Klaus's tears and pulled his hand away, cupping it to Klaus's cheek while he tried to smooth away his despair.

"Don't cry, darlin, I'm here. I'm alright." Klaus's shoulders only shook harder at what Dave had to say. He was so happy to hear Dave say those words, but his heart ached at the fact that he should even have to say them at all.

Dave cooed to Klaus as he wiped at his tears before he dragged his hand down his shoulder, then his arm before finally pulling his hand back into his own.

"You know, they say that when you have a life altering experience and you think that you're going to die that your entire life flashes before your eyes," Dave began, earning Klaus's attention. More tears fell at the idea that Dave believed he was going to die, that Dave really _could_ have died, and that this was him admitting that he thought that he would. "Do you know what I saw?"

Klaus furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head as he looked at Dave.

"I saw _you_, darlin. You and Riley. I saw the moment I first laid my eyes on you, every beautiful moment we spent together as a family, and every memory we have been lucky enough to share together in between. And do you know what I realized? That it wasn't enough. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to you, or to Riley. I wanted to create more beautiful memories, spend many, many more precious moments together. I couldn't live with the idea of leaving either of you behind, or of ever losing you. I love you both too much. The idea or losing you and Riley scared me more than the bullets themselves, darlin. I wasn't willing to give either of you up. Besides, I promised you that I would never leave you, I can't break that promise now," Dave laughed softly and Klaus's eyes fluttered as more of his tears freely fell. Dave's thoughts when he believed he was dying were of him and his daughter? He smiled and tightened his grip on Dave's hand. Klaus inhaled a sharp breath as his heart shuddered with pain but he pushed his discomfort aside to listen to his love speak. God, he missed his voice. Dave ran his thumb over the delicate skin on Klaus's hand and he continued to smile as he spoke.

"Klaus, I love you and Riley with every beat of my heart. I can't live with the idea of not sharing the rest of my life with you. You both are my whole world, and I want to spend every moment I have on this earth with you," Dave paused as his own tears started to fall and Klaus smiled while he leaned forward to wipe away Dave's tears. Dave laughed softly and leaned into Klaus's touch, tilting his head into his palm so that he could kiss his hand. Klaus leaned back in his seat while the two love birds' kept their eyes interlocked. "I wasn't exactly planning on doing something like this under such circumstances, so I apologize that I'm not exactly prepared and don't have a key piece to tie this question together...but, I can't put this off for even a single second longer. Klaus—will you make me the luckiest man on this earth, will you continue to bring a smile to my face everyday by just being you...will you marry me, darlin?"

Klaus's shoulders quaked as a breathy sob burst from his lips. He inhaled a deep breath as he nodded his head, more tears tumbling over his cheekbones at Dave's unexpected proposal.

"Yes," he whispered, "of course. I-I love you so much, baby. I..I can't lose you...I can't..." Klaus's breathing picked up speed, his chest heaving as he tried to take in each unsteady breath. Dave tightened his grip on Klaus's hand, squeezing it gently while he gazed at his love with sad eyes.

"Hey, Shh, look at me," Dave urged, with a delicate softness to his tone. Klaus's tear filled eyes met Dave's steady blues. "I'm not going anywhere—" Klaus started to cry even harder as Dave spoke, the reality that he could have lost him today finally setting in. Dave frowned as he cooed to him, he ran his thumb over Klaus's skin, rubbing soothing circles against Klaus's hand.

"I'm not going anywhere," Dave repeated, "I'm okay, and I'm going to continue to be okay. Darlin, just seeing your beautiful face has already made me feel so much better." Klaus laughed, it was a breathy pitiful sound, but Dave just smiled at his love while he continued to reassure him that he was alright, as he tried to make sure that Klaus knew that he had nothing to worry about.

"I'm alright. I love you so much, Klaus."

"I love you, Dave. God, I love you." Dave cupped Klaus's cheek in his palm and just peered lovingly into his eyes. Dave's smile fell when he finally allowed himself to see Klaus, _truly_ see Klaus as he took in his appearance. Dave's own heart broke at seeing his love. Klaus looked so pale. He was trembling and he could see just how tired he must be. Dave hated that _he_ did this to Klaus, that he'd been causing this to go on for some time ever since his career change, and now _this_? Klaus looked awful, he was breathing heavily and looked like he was just about ready to pass out from his sheer exhaustion.

"Klaus, why don't you go home and go to bed for a little while, you look like you haven't slept in days—"

"No," Klaus interrupted, "baby, I don't want to leave you."

"I'll still be here. Please, go home and get some sleep. You need to rest." He ran his fingers through Klaus's curls just before Klaus pulled away. He shook his head and went to protest but Dave just smiled and took his hand back into his own. "Klaus, I'm not going anywhere, darlin. Please, listen to me and go home, you look exhausted."

Klaus exhaled a laugh before his chin dipped down to his chest. Dave's eyebrows furrowed at Klaus's reaction. Dave frowned, he knew that Klaus practically lived his day to day life always feeling exhausted, and Dave also knew that Klaus was probably tired of hearing that he always looked so tired, but that didn't change the fact of the matter here, which was that he still needed to sleep.

"Please, baby?" Dave pleaded, his worry was thick in his tone, "Please go home and go to sleep, for me?"

Klaus wanted to tell Dave no. He wanted to tell him there was no possible way in hell he would be able to leave him, not now, not when he finally had him in his arms and he could see him, and hold him, and talk to him. Not after he just spent hours worrying himself half to death fearing that he would never be able to see him again, but Klaus couldn't even attempt to fight anything right now. His head was pounding from all of his crying, and he felt so dizzy, and he was just so unbearably tired. He knew that Dave was right, he should try to get some rest, at least for a couple of hours. Klaus nodded his head slowly in acceptance.

"Okay," he whispered before licking his lips, "okay, I'll try to get some sleep."

"And you'll succeed," Dave squeezed Klaus's hand and smiled warmly at his love. "Please, promise me that you'll try to sleep? I'm okay, but I need you to be okay, too."

"I promise," Klaus nodded again while he wiped at his tears. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, he was just so dizzy. Diego shifted Riley on his hip when she lifted her head sleepily before cuddling back up in his arms.

"I'll stay with you until Dave can come home, Klaus. You won't have to be alone, alright?" he began as he rubbed Riley's back and took in his brother's exhausted appearance. "You really should rest, you barely got any sleep, bro. I'll take care of Riley, and in a few hours after you wake up we will come back, okay?"

Klaus leaned on his forearms against Dave's bed as he looked at Diego with tired eyes, "Okay."

Dave pulled Klaus's hand to his lips to plant a chaste kiss there before rubbing his thumb over Klaus's soft and delicate skin. "I'll see you later, darlin. I love you."

"I love you," Klaus slowly rose to his feet. Dave frowned at how long it took him to do-so, and at how unsteady his love seemed. He knew how badly Klaus's overall health and well being always seemed to suffer whenever he didn't sleep well. It killed Dave to see him so unwell. Klaus just smiled softly at Dave before he rested his palm against his cheek and slowly bent over him to kiss his lips. Dave smiled into the kiss, his smile remaining even once Klaus pulled away.

"Mmh, first kiss from my _fiancé_," Dave said as he gazed into his love's eyes. Klaus's lips tugged into a warm smile as he exhaled a soft laugh.

"First of many," Klaus assured him. Dave's smile widened, the lines around his eyes smiling too.

"First of many."

The couple continued to bask in their love for one another when Diego approached his brother, laying his hand over his shoulder.

"Come on, let's get you home." Klaus nodded just as Riley woke up, her bright blue eyes landed right on her daddy. She reached for him, her face eager for her daddy to hold her. Klaus smiled and took his daughter back into his loving arms. She snuggled against his neck and he kissed her curls, resting his hand against her back. He looked at Dave one more time and they exchanged another smile before Diego's hand trailed to his lower back and helped guide him towards the door. Diego opened the door and Klaus started to leave the room when Dave's voice brought his motion to a halt.

"Oh, Klaus, one more thing," Klaus turned to face Dave and both men smiled fondly at one another. Dave pulled his hand to his lips, kissing his fingertips before he blew Klaus a kiss, "Goodnight."

—-

**Authors Note:** _First off I just want to say WOW, thank you guys so much for all of your lovely comments last chapter, you all are amazing! Seeing such wonderful feedback makes me all the more excited to keep updates coming! So, thank you, really! I appreciate you all so much!_

_Poor Dave, and poor Klaus :'( BUT at least they are ENGAGED! So there is a silver lining! If you are still following along and enjoying this story, as always, I crave validation and would absolutely LOVE to hear from you all in the comments! What thoughts or concerns are you feeling? Let me know!_

_I hope you all are staying safe, healthy and happy! Until next week! Have a great day! :)_


	15. Old Habits Die Hard

Due to Dave's injuries he had to stay admitted into the hospital for a seven day span to be monitored to make sure that he would not be subjected to forming any type of infection, and to ensure that he had an ample amount of recovery time to heal enough to make coping with his injuries less stressful on him and his family upon his return back home. Klaus made sure that he was by his side as often as he possibly could be. Every single day, often even multiple times a day, Klaus went back and forth from home to the hospital to ensure that Dave would never have to be alone. Not that he ever would be, of course. Dave's family were constantly visiting Dave, too. Klaus knew that, but he still couldn't help but to feel the need to be by his fiancé's side as frequently as the hospital would permit him to be.

Sometimes one of Dave's sisters would offer to swing by the house to pick Klaus up on their way to go visit Dave, and sometimes he would accept their offer, but more often than not he would humbly decline. Klaus didn't like to bring Riley to the hospital anymore in fear of her picking up an illness. He knew how medical facilities were just one giant cesspool and didn't want to risk exposing his little princess to any unwanted ailments. Especially not now; Dave was going to need all of the help that he could get. Tending to his sick daughter on top of his already wounded boyfriend was not exactly how Klaus ideally intended to spend his next few weeks time. He would much rather focus on just _one_ obstacle at a time, god willing. Diego, thankfully, was more than willing to babysit Riley for Klaus so that he could fully focus his attention on Dave while ensuring his daughter stayed safe at home and as far away from all of the germs as humanly possible. Of course, Diego always offered to drop Klaus off to visit Dave, but Klaus honestly just wanted this time to be alone so that he could 'clear his mind and think'. At least, that was what he told Diego and Dave's siblings.

The truth of the matter was that the forty minute walk to and from the hospital was the perfect amount of time for Klaus to allow himself the time and space he needed to freely vent and really cleanse his pallet from all of his anxieties and constant stress that he had been harboring since the moment he learned that Dave had been shot. He could cry, and have a mini panic attack and get it all out of his system, and even still allow himself a little added time to try to calm down and compose himself enough so that Dave nor Diego were any wiser to his little mental breakdowns. Even though Klaus knew that while yes, Dave was indeed injured, and he had been incredibly lucky and continued to remind Klaus daily that he was okay, he couldn't help but still feel absolutely heartbroken and driven nearly ill with grief. Klaus still struggled to wrap his head around the fact that Dave—his boyfriend, no, his _fiancé_ had been struck down in the line of duty and could have died. He could have lost him; his savior, his strength, _his love_. Riley could have lost her second daddy, and Dave could have lost his _life_. Klaus's heart _ached_ anytime he thought about that terrifying reality.

Klaus had been so hyper focused on Dave and making sure that he was alright and tended to whenever he was at the hospital, and so intent on making sure that Riley was happy, and knew that her daddy hadn't forgotten about his precious little princess since he was spending so much time away from her - not to mention he was spending so much time going to and from the hospital, that unfortunately little things were beginning to slip his mind. They were simple things, and he honestly hadn't even realized he was doing it, it was just so unbelievably easy to fall back into old habits when your focus was constantly being pulled in a million different directions and none of them led to your own needs. Klaus was so busy tending to everyone else other than himself that he didn't even notice when he started forgetting to eat a meal or two throughout the day, or forgot to make sure that he was drinking enough water to ensure that he was staying hydrated. Sometimes, he would figure it out, and realize his error by the end of the night right before he would attempt to go to bed. If he did he would at least quickly down a glass of water, maybe a bite or two to eat if he could stomach it. Truthfully, though, Klaus was always so unbearably exhausted by the end of each day that he didn't always catch his mistake. Not to mention, despite allowing himself to have his mini 'episodes' during his many excursions throughout the day to vent, Klaus still felt absolutely sick with heartache.

Klaus hated to admit it, but he had honest to god never felt more run down or exhausted in his entire life; which was really saying something considering he'd literally spent the entire past year of his life buried under a heavy weighted blanket of chronic fatigue. If he thought that sleeping without Dave being around when he knew that he was safe and uninjured was hard, well, trying to sleep while knowing his fiancé was laid up in a hospital bed after he was nearly killed was literal hell. Klaus couldn't remember what it felt like to _not _feel dizzy or lightheaded anymore. Worse than that, though, Klaus's chest pain had been acting up a lot more recently. He attributed it, of course, to his constant onslaught of crippling anxiety and overwhelming fatigue, but dammit, Klaus's heart _hurt._

Sometimes he wouldn't really notice his discomfort; well, not that he didn't notice it, he absolutely did, it's just that when there was such a multitude of distractions going on all around him, it was so simple to easily shrug something like a little chest pain off as nothing at all. Other times he could be doing a simple mundane task, such as folding laundry, or reaching for something in the pantry and his heart would suddenly spasm painfully. Usually when that happened the pain would steal Klaus's breath away. He hated it, but he just kept reminding himself how his doctors assured him that it was likely nothing that he should concern himself over, and he certainly wasn't surprised that of all times, _now_ his sudden chest issues would start really becoming something that was a rather bothersome problem. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense: Dave was hurt, he almost died. Klaus was still constantly consumed by his stress and fear over the situation that occurred with his love. Not to mention on top of all of that, Klaus was still struggling with his recurring nightmares. So, it was no wonder he was suffering from seemingly sudden chest pains. Who in their right mind wouldn't be?

At least that's what Klaus kept telling himself…

Klaus's eyelashes fluttered and opened revealing tired emerald green irises. His gaze stared vacantly up towards his ceiling for quite some time as he allowed himself to slowly begin to take in his surroundings and gather his senses. The soft sound of rain water pattering against the shingles as it collected into tiny pools on the roof before flowing into the gutters and flooding the yard outside filled his ears and only helped remind him that he simply wasn't ready to wake up just yet. Klaus closed his eyes and took in a long deep breath before he exhaled the contents of his lungs. The action morphed into his chest clenching, and a deep uncomfortable dry cough forced itself past his lips. Klaus cleared his throat while he massaged his fingertips against his chest to soothe the odd fluttering sensation that he'd been feeling all night long. He groaned while he continued to convince himself that he needed to get up, he had so many tasks that he needed to complete today before Dave would return back home to him tomorrow.

Klaus hated to admit it, as he never liked to give into his own weaknesses, but he just wasn't feeling very well at all. He didn't get much sleep at all last night, which wasn't unusual for him, but he just felt so much more tired than usual today. His body felt heavy, and his motions felt listless and weak, and within the last few days he'd managed to develop a cough that always seemed to plague him while he would be laying down trying to sleep. Not that he ever actually was lucky enough to succumb to the bliss of sleep, anyways. He coughed again before he allowed his tense muscles to relax and melt against his mattress once more. Klaus was out of breath, and his heart was pounding so hard in his chest, beating against his rib cage as though it was trying to break itself free. Klaus felt like he'd just ran a marathon; he was drenched in sweat and was struggling so hard to catch his breath as his lungs heaved for more oxygen, and his limbs were trembling from fatigue. Klaus was so thankful he hadn't been bringing Riley to the hospital with him; clearly he was beginning to come down with something, he didn't want his little princess to get sick, too.

Klaus was so exhausted, in retrospect he was aware that forcing himself to make multiple trips back and forth to and from the hospital several times a day could potentially leave him feeling a bit run down, but even he had to admit that he felt downright terrible. Of course, Klaus thought, leave it to him to get sick when his fiancé and daughter truly needed him the most. He felt like complete, total and utter shit. Klaus wanted nothing more than to try to close his eyes and just go back to bed. Or, really finally _go_ to bed and try to get some sleep. He'd barely allowed himself a moment of peace in the past six days since Dave was wounded; if he wasn't busy tending to Dave, or Riley he was taking care of attempting to keep the house in proper working order in preparation for Dave's return back home. The last two days his chores had been put on the wayside while he went out of his way to spend extra time with Dave, knowing that today he wouldn't get the opportunity to visit his love at all. The weather was predicted to be bad today; heavy thunderstorms and rain and lightning were on the forecast for the area, not exactly something Klaus wanted to walk around the town in. Diego had to work today and wouldn't be able to watch Riley for him, and Dave's family all had previous engagements and weren't going to be able to visit Dave today either. Klaus felt terrible knowing that Dave would need to spend his last day in the hospital alone, but he was at least grateful for one thing: Dave was _finally_ coming home tomorrow, and Klaus could not be any more happy or excited for his love's return.

Using what felt like an unattainable amount of energy, a strength that he just didn't quite possess, Klaus positioned himself so that he was laying on his side on his bed before he slowly swung his legs over the edge of the mattress to sit upright. His limbs were shaking from fatigue and the room instantly tilted before it began to spin around him - he was just so dizzy. Klaus closed his eyes and tried to slow down his breathing, he didn't know why, but he was so out of breath today. Riley was standing up in her crib watching her daddy with a smile as bright as the sun, and beautiful blue eager eyes as she patiently waited for him to greet her. When Klaus was finally confident enough that he was okay and felt grounded enough to actually stand, he opened his own eyes and with a slow precision he leveraged himself onto his unsteady feet. Klaus's tired green eyes finally met his daughter's brilliant blues and, tired or not, he couldn't help but to smile. Riley always had that way about her; no matter how sad, or tired, or downright _sick_ Klaus could be feeling, he always knew he could count on Riley to brighten even his darkest of days.

"Good morning, princess, did you sleep well?" he greeted softly as he scooped his little angel into his loving arms. Riley smiled and wrapped her limbs around her daddy, pressing her lips to his and gave him a big good morning smooch. Klaus's smile only broadened as he marveled at his beautiful baby girl. Giving hugs and kisses was Riley's new favorite thing to do, and honestly, they were Klaus's favorite gift he could ever receive. He hugged her close against his chest and nuzzled his own lips against her rampant curls and just held her, simply relishing in the feeling of her in his arms again after what felt like far too long. He felt terrible, really, _guilty_ for not spending every waking moment he could offer to his daughter with her, but he knew that if Riley was a little older and could fully grasp what happened to her daddy Davey, she would understand why her daddy hadn't been around doting on her hand and foot like he normally always would be. He kissed her again, and again, and again on her forehead, each cheek, each eyelid. He kissed her chin, her lips, her nose, and Riley's perfectly dimpled features lit up with joy as she squealed with laughter and love for her daddy's affection. Klaus smiled fondly at his little girl before tucking her curls behind her ear. She missed him, and god, did he miss her. "How does some juice and your favorite breakfast sound, huh sweetie? I bet that you must be so hungry! Let's go and eat and then you can play while daddy cleans, okay? What's that, sweetie? Oh, you think that sounds fun? Perfect, daddy's so happy to hear that!"

Riley's loud giggling filled the air as she ran around the living room, bouncing from one toy to another while she easily kept herself entertained, allowing Klaus the time he needed to clean up after her breakfast and finally get to work on the pile of dishes he'd been putting off for the past two days. The water had long since filled the basin in the sink, and the sound of bubbles of dish detergent were fizzing and popping as he scrubbed each individual dish in the 'dirty water' before rinsing them clean and laying them out on the dish rack to dry. Typically this was one of Klaus's easiest tasks to complete; dunking a dish in water and spreading around some soap with a sponge before rinsing wasn't exactly hard manual labor, but for some reason Klaus was really having a hard time focusing on it today. He kept needing to stop what he was doing. Klaus was so dizzy, the spinning sensation he noticed after sitting up in bed that morning had never gone away, and truthfully, if anything, it only seemed to be getting worse. He had his eyes closed and his palms resting on the countertop while he allowed himself to just take a break for a moment to focus on his breathing. His chest felt more…_odd_ today, compared to usual, as well.

Klaus had been getting a strange fluttering sensation in his chest on and off for quite sometime now, but he had already grown quite accustomed to that feeling and accepted it as his new 'norm', but all day long today Klaus had been experiencing an all new discomfort, one that he had never felt before. It almost felt as though his heart would suddenly stop beating - only for a quick moment - before it would pick right back up once again. Every time it did this, however, it was as though it was trying to catch back up to the beats where it had last left off. It would hesitate, then race, then hesitate again. Each time this sensation occurred Klaus's energy would deplete and leave him feeling rather faint. He did not like this new feeling, it was uncomfortable, a little painful, and if he was entirely honest with himself, it was really _scary_ to him. Klaus inhaled a sharp gust of breath when that terrifying sensation happened again. He clutched his hand to his chest and groaned when his heart continued to spasm painfully for an extended period of time. His hand that was still resting against the counter trembled beneath his weight as it struggled to hold him upright. Klaus groaned again when he felt the blood rush out of his face and his stomach drop; he was beginning to feel light headed.

"Just breathe Klaus - It'll pass, you're - you're okay," Klaus reminded himself shakily through his painful unsteady breathing. He knew that he would be alright, he had to be. Thank god Dave would be home tomorrow, he didn't know how much longer he could continue on feeling this way. Surely, having Dave home would help rid him of his anxiety and cure him of all of this pain. Klaus was so ready to just curl up in bed with his love and have him chase all of his fears away.

Klaus's chest pain finally began to diminish and he was just about to take this opportunity to catch his breath when the phone began to ring. He opened his eyes and found himself to still be incredibly dizzy, but he knew that he needed to answer the phone. What if that was Dave calling? Using the counter to keep himself steady, Klaus slowly made his way to the phone. Even he couldn't believe how slow he was moving today, his entire body just felt so heavy, and he was so tired. With shaky hands he took the phone off of its hook and held it up to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Klaus! Hey, man, how are you doing?" Ben excitedly trilled on the other end of the line, "Are you excited? Tomorrow's the big day, Dave's finally coming home!"

"I know," Klaus paused to take another breath. He closed his eyes when he felt a sudden wave of lethargy wash over him again and pressed his palm against the wall. "Thank god. I just - I just miss him so much, Benny," he whispered tiredly.

"Aw, I bet. But hey, he's okay and he will be home before you know it. I'm sure you two will spend the entire night tomorrow wrapped up like two little love birds within each other's arms." Ben giggled softly into the phone line, Klaus could almost hear the smile in his brother's tone. "Just, don't squeeze him too hard, alright! After all, he _is_ still recovering."

"I'll treat him like a delicate flower. It's going to be weird, though. Like a role reversal. I'm just so used to him taking care of me," Klaus stated quietly, he was just so tired. He shifted his weight so that he was leaning against the wall, "It's going to be nice to do something for him for a change. I just wish that he wasn't hurt."

"I know, buddy, but hey, I heard he's already making amazing progress, and they're expecting he shouldn't have any limited motion once he's healed. That's great news, he got so lucky."

"Thank God. Poor Dave, it kills me to see him like that, it makes me physically sick," Klaus paused to close his eyes again when his heart fluttered, he needed to focus on catching his breath. "He - he shouldn't be in the hospital at all. He should be home - here with me, and Riley, where he…_woah—_" Suddenly Klaus just felt so much more tired than before. He leaned all of his weight heavily against the wall when he felt his energy begin to drain and fade away. Klaus groaned again when his heart fluttered painfully in his chest. Ben couldn't see his brother, but he could tell ever since the moment he'd picked up the phone that something seemed a little off with Klaus. Now though, he worried that there could be something wrong.

"Klaus, are you okay?"

"Yeah - M'fine, just...tired and worried." Klaus stated softly as his eyes fluttered. He groaned, sucking in a quick gasp when his heart cramped up once again.

"Klaus man, you don't sound fine. Are you feeling okay? Be honest with me. Did you sleep at all last night?"

Klaus was really starting to _not_ feel fine. His chest felt tight and he kept getting strange cramping sensations and pain. As more time passed he found himself to feel more and more dizzy. Klaus's body began to tremble and his energy continued to diminish. He was so winded that he was struggling to catch his breath; Klaus didn't know how else to explain the way that he was feeling, but he just felt so _wrong._

"No - no, not really. Just - I've just been feeling really stressed out lately, Ben," Klaus tried to put a bandaid on the situation, but he needed to get off of the phone. He was really starting to feel light headed. He needed to take it easy, get off of his feet, allow himself a proper break. "I'm fine, really—"

"Klaus, you need to sleep—"

"I know, you're right - you're right," Klaus's heart clenched again, harder than before and it stole his breath away. He needed to get off of this phone, right now. "I think - I think I need to go and lay down - take a nap for a little while. I'll call you later, Benny."

"Okay, I think that sounds like a good idea, you sound exhausted. But, Klaus, are you sure that you're okay—"

Klaus fumbled with the phone as he quickly replaced it back onto its hook. He felt bad for cutting his conversation with his brother so short, but he couldn't keep up this charade any longer. The room was really spinning now, Klaus hadn't thought he'd ever felt more dizzy in his entire life. He pressed his palms flush against the wall and rested his forehead against his arms while he tried desperately to catch his breath. He stood there for quite some time just allowing himself to try to relax and breathe and thankfully, after a good few minutes, he was finally beginning to feel a little bit better. Slowly, Klaus straightened his posture and peeled his face away from his arms. He opened and closed his eyes to try to clear the blurry haze that was obscuring his vision. Sucking in another deep breath, he finally felt that he was well enough to move out of his cemented spot against the wall in the kitchen. Klaus's eyes wandered into the living room and fell upon his daughter. Riley was sitting on the floor holding her favorite elephant stuffed animal that Dave bought many months ago while she watched her daddy with curious blue eyes. Klaus smiled weakly at his little princess before he pushed himself off of the wall and started walking towards her. He smiled at her when he scooped her up into his adoring arms and hugged her close against his chest. Klaus closed his eyes when he felt a little dizzy again, but he was thankful when the feeling faded away rather quickly. Even still, Klaus couldn't deny how exhausted he felt. He thought that perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad idea after all if he were to try to lay down and sleep for a couple more hours and see if it would help him feel at least a little bit better. He only hoped that it would, anyways.

"What do you say we go lay down for a little while, huh sweetie?" he cooed to Riley while he gently stroked his fingers over her back, "I don't know about you, but daddy could really use a nap."

Slowly, Klaus carried Riley into their bedroom and set her down in her crib. She wasn't tired, though. She stood up, her tiny hands holding onto her daddy's hand while he attempted to soothe her enough so that she would lay down. Suddenly Klaus's heart did that uncomfortable stutter again and he felt his world fade briefly while his vision began to blur. His strength quickly diminished, leaving him feeling incredibly weak and Klaus had to grip onto Riley's crib to prevent himself from falling over. Klaus leaned against the railing of Riley's crib, pressing his full weight against it while he tried to catch his breath when his features screwed up in discomfort.

_God, he did not feel well at all…_

"Dada?" Riley's tiny hands found Klaus's cheeks and she held onto him. She stared at her daddy with wide eyes and a worried expression when a pained groan pushed itself past Klaus's lips. He opened his eyes and looked at his beautiful baby girl before taking her delicate hands into his own.

"I'm sorry, princess, don't worry, I'm okay, I just—" Klaus doubled over himself when his chest pain intensified. He pressed one of his hands against his heart when that painful stutter made itself undeniably known. Klaus gasped out when he was consumed by his pain and his ever expanding _fear. _

_This wasn't right…_

_Something was wrong, he could feel it…_

He remembered that his doctor had told him that if his chest pain seemed to get any worse that he should come in immediately and get this issue checked out. Well, he felt that it was safe to say that there was absolutely no denying that it had definitely gotten much, much worse. Klaus knew that he needed to call his doctor, or Diego, _someone_. He groaned again when his dizziness returned following another painful palpitation in his chest. He needed to call for help, he was terrified that something had to be seriously wrong. He shouldn't be feeling this way. "Daddy just really isn't feeling very well today, princess - I'm - I'm sorry, I'll be right back, I need to make a quick call—" with shaky hands, Klaus cupped Riley's precious face into his palms and kissed her forehead. He smiled reassuringly to his baby girl in hopes of putting her clearly distraught mind at ease before his chest clenched causing him to groan again. He pulled away from his daughter, squeezing her hand once more before he hurriedly staggered out of the bedroom and out into the hallway.

Klaus was so dizzy, and in so much pain. He just felt so weak, he had never felt like this before, there was no denying this any longer, Klaus knew that he desperately needed help. He stumbled on unsteady legs through the hall; he was struggling to hold himself upright, his hands were firmly pressed against the walls while he took each painstaking step forward closer to the kitchen where he knew that the phone would be. Klaus's heart spasmed painfully again causing him to pause in his tracks. He gasped as his hand found his heart and pressed against it, hoping and praying for some kind of relief.

_God, this was so painful…_

_Why was this happening…_

_What was wrong with him…_

Klaus's breathing became erratic, he found that he was really struggling to gasp for each breath now. Everything around him was suddenly so hazy, and black spots were beginning to dot his field of vision. His pain only seemed to intensify when the world around him began to distort and morph before his blurred unsteady eyes. Klaus's ears perked when he heard the sound of a key being slid into the front door. 'Thank god', he thought, 'Diego must be home, I'm going to be okay'.

"Help me...Di, p-please—" he weakly attempted to speak but the words tumbled from his tongue, his speech was broken and silent, surely none of those words would ever reach his siblings ears. Klaus's heart cramped again, the pain was so unbearably intense and it stole his breath away. Klaus groaned and his eyes fluttered, he tried desperately to focus his vision, he needed to pull himself together, he needed to ask his brother for help. He reached for the wall when he felt his knees beginning to tremble before they buckled out from beneath him. His hand slipped from where it gripped the corner of the entryway into the living room, his legs crumpled and failed him and Klaus's awareness collapsed around him right along with them when his world faded and he was greeted into the vast abyss of darkness.

—-

Diego pulled into the driveway at Ben's house and shifted the car into park. He turned off his windshield wipers before he adjusted his rear view mirror and smiled when his eyes landed on the empty baby seat that now took up a permanent residence within his back seat. Diego still couldn't believe how much his life had changed in such a short span of time. He went from truly being a lonely person, only having his girlfriend Eudora and his best friend Dave for any real company. Diego may put up the front that he has a tough brooding exterior, but he'd always been a big softie at heart, especially when it came to his brother Klaus. He would be lying to himself if he claimed that every day that passed him by and his brother wasn't in his life hadn't sent him into a mini bout of depression. The moment Dave revealed the truth about their hidden relationship and Diego was able to finally let go of the anger and hostility he'd been holding onto in his heart for so long and accept his brother back into his life had been one of his happiest moments. The first time he laid his eyes on Klaus after their last Rendezvous ending with him yelling at his sibling after he'd nearly died and telling him he never wanted to see him again, Diego was so proud and happy to see just how far his brother had actually come. It pained him to realize that while on the outside his brother appeared to be healthy and amazing, his abilities continued to still plague him and left him with an immense, downright crippling amount of fatigue. He was so happy that at least now, he knew that Klaus wouldn't have to suffer from the burden of his abilities alone ever again. He had his beautiful daughter, whom Diego could not love any more if he tried. He had him, and Ben, and more than anything, Klaus had Dave.

"He is going to be so surprised," Diego began when he peered to the passenger in his car. "We told him you wouldn't be home until tomorrow."

"Thank god I'm finally home, I missed Klaus and Riley so much," Dave beamed as he smiled proudly. He adjusted his sling on his arm and removed his seatbelt, resting his fingers against the car doors latch. "I'm ready to go home to the loves of my life."

Diego smiled fondly at Dave before he exited the vehicle, popping open his umbrella and made his way around to the other side to offer Dave his help. Dave's lips tugged into a smile when he accepted Diego's offer. Dave felt great; his surgery to repair the damage to his shoulder was already showing signs of healing properly, and the bruise on his chest from where the bullet slammed into his Kevlar vest was barely a distant memory now. His stitches on his abdomen where the third bullet grazed him had been removed that morning, and honestly, Dave was just overall feeling pretty damn good for a man who just a mere six days ago thought for sure that he was going to die and have to say goodbye to the two most important people he had in his life: Klaus and Riley.

Dave's smile only widened when he remembered that this was it, he was _home_, he could finally pull both of his loves into his arms and hold them, and kiss them, and shower them with his affection. Due to his injuries, Dave was now going to be on leave from work for the next couple of months, or until he was cleared to return to full duty. Which just meant he had an unlimited amount of time that he could finally spend with his family. Dave could not be any more happy.

The two men huddled under Diego's umbrella while heavy droplets of rain pelted the canvas canopy as they approached the front door. Diego's phone started to vibrate and he pulled it out of his pocket. He glanced at the caller ID and realized it was Ben who was calling, probably just wondering if he was on his way back to the house with Dave yet, since Ben was in on his surprise early release. Diego pocketed his phone and decided that he would just have to call his brother back in a few minutes to let him know that the mission was a success. Diego sifted through the keys on his keychain to find the proper one before he slid it into the deadbolt. The two exchanged a grin when a sudden peculiar sound from inside the house caught their attention.

"Did you hear that?" Dave asked, his eyebrows furrowed when his eyes met Diego's. He swore he heard a muffled cry. Was Riley crying?

"Hear what—" Diego's words cut off when the distinct sound of a loud thud, like something falling against the floors followed by the shrill sound of Riley's distressed wailing filled their ears. "Shit, Riley!"

Panicked, Diego quickly unlocked the latch and threw open the door. Diego and Dave both hurriedly darted through the front entryway fully expecting to find that Riley had fallen against the floor, but both of their hearts sank and their eyes widened in fear when it was not Riley that they found. Klaus was sprawled out in an unnatural position on his side; he had clearly collapsed while attempting to get to the living room since he was partially laid between that space and the bedroom hallway. He was absurdly pale and his breathing was frighteningly shallow. Dave was at his side in an instant. Ignoring his own discomfort, he knelt beside his love and he attempted to scoop him onto his lap, but dammit he couldn't because of his wounded arm.

"Klaus? Klaus—" he tapped his cheek and was alarmed at the heat radiating off of his fiancés skin. "Shit, baby, wake up! Wake up, please!"

Diego ran to his side and gently nudged Dave out of his way, "Move, let me see him." He pulled Klaus's limp figure into his arms. Instantly Diego's heart was pounding. Not again, he thought. He'd just gotten his brother back, he couldn't lose him again, not now, not when they had come so far as a family. His features contorted into agonizing fear as the memories of the last time he'd found his brother in such a way flashed back into the forefront of his memories. He almost lost him once, he refused to lose him now, he promised himself this would never happen again. He needed to fix this, he needed to save his brother, for their family, and for Riley. "Quick, go get Riley, we need to take him to the hospital—come on Dave, focus, we need to take him right now!" Dave didn't hesitate, he ran to the bedroom and quickly gathered an inconsolable crying Riley into his arms before the little family ran outside, foregoing any umbrellas, there simply wasn't any time, and poured into Diego's vehicle to rush Klaus to the hospital.

"I don't even—I can't believe...do you think this could be another overdose?" Diego questioned quickly through clenched teeth, he didn't believe it could be, but he just had to make sure.

"What," Dave questioned, tears already spilling over his terrified cheeks. "No, not even the slightest chance in hell! Klaus wouldn't even let us keep Tylenol in the house, there's no way. He wouldn't, he promised Riley. He promised her that he would never leave her, that he'd stay clean, he promised her that the moment he first held her and he'd kept his word. This is something else, I know him, he wouldn't—"

"I believe you, Dave," Diego started. He quickly glanced into the back seat, taking in the horrifying picture: Riley was in her car seat with hot tears staining her perfectly angelic cheeks, she was reaching for her daddy and calling for him. Clearly, she was worried for him, too. Dave was clutching an unnaturally sickly looking and still Klaus against him. Diego _did_ believe Dave's words; he just worried that surely this only meant that this must be something _so much worse_ than an overdose, then. Diego couldn't believe how quickly their lives could change. Moments ago they were excited to surprise Klaus with Dave's early arrival back home, _now_ his brother appeared to be knocking on death's door, this wasn't right. They were all supposed to be happy, and celebrating them all coming back together again, not bringing him to the hospital and once again being torn apart. Diego hastily wiped at his tears before his brown eyes met Dave's petrified blues, "I believe you, Dave and I believe Klaus, too. I know that he would never do anything to hurt his daughter, I just hope he's okay. God, please let him be okay!"

—-

Klaus's eyes pinched tightly closed before they eventually fluttered open. He winced at the bright fluorescent lighting that instantly attacked his retinas, but with time he was slowly able to focus his vision. He quickly came to realize that he was lying in a hospital bed; he had an IV attached to his arm, all kinds of different wires were hooked to his chest that were leading to multiple different machines displaying all kinds of information - not that Klaus had any idea on how to decipher what any of it meant. He had a nasal cannula in his nostrils forcing oxygen into his lungs. Klaus felt so tired, he just wanted to close his eyes and go back to sleep—but wait, what happened, how did he even get here?

"Riley—" he called weakly as he attempted to sit up, but a gentle hand eased him back down against the uncomfortable hospital bed. "Where—where is Riley, how did I—" he whispered through his labored breaths.

"Shh, darlin calm down, you're in the hospital," Dave began while he carded his fingers through Klaus's curls in an attempt to try and soothe him. "Riley is okay, she's with Diego, they're out in the lobby."

Klaus swallowed the saliva in his mouth and closed his eyes while he tried to focus on his breathing. Dave's features contorted into a worried expression before he pulled Klaus's hand into his own.

"I didn't think I'd be coming back to the hospital so soon, baby." Dave admitted sadly. Klaus's eyes barely opened into weary slits. He felt so drained, and so unbelievably exhausted.

"What happened?" Klaus questioned weakly. Dave's lips twitched into a brief smile before morphing back into his worried frown.

"You collapsed, darlin. Diego and I went to the house to surprise you—but as it turns out, it was you who ended up surprising us."

"M'sorry—"

"Shh, it's okay, you're going to be okay. They, uh, they ran a bunch of tests on you. You were really dehydrated, darlin, when was the last time that you had anything to drink, or eat for that matter, you look like you've lost some weight." Dave brushed his fingertips across Klaus's hollowed cheekbone, he looked so unwell. He hated seeing him this way. He knew that something like this would happen when he learned that Klaus had refused to accept anyone's help and was walking back and forth to the hospital, sometimes multiple times a day to come and visit him. Dave was so worried, especially after seeing how exhausted and worn thin Klaus appeared yesterday when he last saw his love. Dave told Klaus to go home yesterday and asked him to _please_, just stay home today to catch up on his rest. Dave even warned him that the weather was supposed to be poor, and no one else would be able to come and visit him today. He wanted Klaus to realize that he shouldn't be out in that, and that he should take it easy. Dave wanted Klaus to get plenty of rest, but not like _this_.

"What's wrong with me?" Klaus asked tiredly, were all of his symptoms caused from that? Just him forgetting to eat and drink? Dave's grip on Klaus's hand tightened when his watery ocean blues met Klaus's weary emerald greens.

"Your heartbeat was irregular when we got here, the doctors said that it was abnormal. They asked me if it's usually like that...I told them no, not that I'm aware of. They thought it would be best to run a few tests, make sure that you're okay. We're just waiting to hear back on the results. Baby, how long have you been feeling like this? I was so worried, so _scared_ when I saw you, I just...I don't know what I would do if anything ever happened to you."

"I'm sorry, Dave," Klaus gripped his fiancé's hand tighter before he peered into his eyes. "It's something _new_. Don't be mad at me, please.. I've been...I noticed a little flutter in my chest right before Ben went back to school."

"Klaus, why didn't you say anything—"

"It's not a big deal—"

"_Darlin—_"

"Baby, it's _not_. I called my primary care physician as soon as I noticed the symptoms, they said it was likely caused from my chronic fatigue. They said that it was normal, and that I should just keep an eye on it. They said if it got worse to get it checked out then, but," he paused to catch his breath. "But _of course_ it got worse, baby. I just figured it was my anxiety. I was so scared, so worried for _you_, I figured it was no wonder my chest hurt—I was _heartbroken_."

"Klaus, if it got worse you should have called the doctor. You passed out, you were running a fever, who knows what this is. What if it's something serious, you could have—"

"I'm fine. I just...I just overdid it a little. I'm okay, now. I was on my way to the phone to call Diego or my doctor when this happened. I promise I wasn't neglecting it, I just didn't have the time—"

"Klaus, you need to always make time for _your health_, too," Dave began. He ran his palm down his own exasperated face before intertwining his fingers within his fiancés once more. "You can't keep falling back into these habits, baby. And you need to always be honest with me. You should have told me the second you started experiencing these symptoms, I could have helped you through this. And you shouldn't keep pushing yourself like this, especially when you knew you were feeling that way. You—you were walking back and forth to see me when you _knew_ that you weren't feeling well? Klaus, you can't—you can't do that, darlin. What if this happened and you were outside all alone, what if we wouldn't have found you? You might be really sick, this isn't normal, I can't—"

"I know.. I know, baby, I'm sorry. It was careless of me. I just...I just figured if my doctor wasn't concerned, then why should I be? Why should I worry you over nothing when you were already dealing with your own problems? But, I'm okay now, it's getting checked out. When—when will we know what it was?"

"They ran some blood tests, and they took you to run some other tests, too. They didn't give me any details, but when they brought you back they said that they just needed to wait for the results, and that they would be back shortly to let us know as soon as they could."

Klaus nodded his head before he allowed himself to relax against the bed. He still felt so drained, but he was relieved to know that soon he would learn what was causing him all of his chest pains. He exhaled a sigh and closed his eyes. "I was so scared, Dave. So scared." he admitted solemnly, his voice was shaking with his own fear.

"I'm just sorry I wasn't there for you. I couldn't even begin to imagine how scary that must have been for you, darlin. When we found you like that—" Dave cupped Klaus's cheek in his palm earning him to open his eyes into sorrow filled slits. "I was so scared, baby."

"I'm so sorry."

"Please, don't apologize. I'm just so happy that you're okay." Dave leaned forward and pressed his lips against Klaus's temple. Klaus closed his eyes and just absorbed the sensation of Dave's lips against his skin.

"I'm so tired, baby," Klaus said weakly, he was just still feeling so unbelievably drained.

"Why don't you try to rest, yeah? I'll wake you up when they come back with your test results." Klaus nodded at Dave's words. Sleep sounded perfect right now to him. Klaus clutched Dave's hand firmly within his own while he quickly allowed himself to succumb to sleep.

—-

Dave let Klaus continue to rest and stayed by his side while they waited for the doctor to reveal the results of Klaus's testing. He was so agonizingly worried; why was this the first he'd heard that Klaus was suffering from chest pains, why hadn't he just told him the truth? Dave was mad that everything bad always seemed to have to happen all at once. First he got shot, and now _this_? What if whatever it was that is plaguing Klaus was dangerous? And why the hell had Klaus's doctors deemed these issues to be unimportant? Chest pain is not normal, that sounded pretty important to address to Dave, so why had a trusted medical professional found this issue to be no cause for concern? Why was it that his love's health always seemed to be so unimportant to everyone else except for _him_? A soft knock at the door and the sound of it softly swinging open alerted Dave that the results must be in.

"Klaus, baby, wake up," Dave gently ran his palm up and down Klaus's arm before squeezing his hand. Klaus groaned before his eyes slowly parted open. A female doctor smiled warmly at the two men before pulling a stool over and taking a seat at the foot of Klaus's bed.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Kessler, are you feeling any better ?" her voice was kind, and patient.

"Mm, a little. Still tired, though," he began, his voice was soft and groggy. Klaus squeezed Dave's hand and their concerned eyes met before Klaus turned his full attention back to the doctor. "What's wrong with me? Why has my chest been feeling this way?" The doctor smiled softly before she flipped through the pages in his chart that held his results.

"I'm happy to hear that you're feeling a little bit better, however, that being said, I'm not surprised that you're still feeling tired yet. You've certainly had a rough day, haven't you? Mr. Hargreeves, can you tell me a detailed description of all of your symptoms you've been displaying to the best of your recollection, and how long would you say that you've been experiencing them for?" Klaus hummed as he wracked his thoughts to find an answer.

"I noticed my heart started having a weird fluttering sensation about, I don't know exactly, maybe two weeks ago? I called my doctor and they said it was probably fine. I've been suffering from chronic fatigue for about a year now, they sounded confident that it was related to that. Just said that if it got worse to get it checked out; then," he began before looking to Dave with sad eyes. "It did get worse—a _lot _worse, but I just figured it was from all of my stress. When Dave got shot, I just…_of course_ it got worse, you know? Why wouldn't it? But then today...today it just hurt so badly—"

"What did it feel like today? Can you describe the feeling?" she asked as she jotted more notes down into his chart.

"It felt like my heart would just stop. Like it would stutter, then start back up. Then it would be racing. It didn't happen often, but it happened a few times, and every time it made me feel a little faint."

"Have you been experiencing any dizziness, lightheadedness, coughing, or wheezing, or feelings of breathlessness? And was this the first time that you've lost consciousness unexpectedly, or passed out?"

"This was my first time passing out, yeah, but I've come close before, a few weeks ago on my daughter's birthday. I developed a cough whenever I'm laying down two or three days ago. I'm constantly dizzy, my doctor said it was because of my chronic fatigue and my inability to sleep on most nights. Sometimes I feel a little breathless—why? What do I have? I thought you had the results?"

"I do. I just wanted to make sure I had as many details sorted out as much as possible first," she adjusted the clipboard on her lap and flipped through the pages before addressing the two men once more. "Klaus, when you first arrived here at the hospital you were dehydrated, but upon running your vitals and listening to your chest, we quickly realized that you also had a pretty severe case of a condition called tachycardia—which, allow me to explain to make this easier for you to understand; tachycardia is just a fancy medical term for a fast and irregular heart rate. You also had a very distinct heart murmur. We ran some blood panels, did an EKG on your heart, and took a chest X-ray," Dr. Kessler paused for a moment before finally informing Klaus of his results. "Klaus, it appears that you're suffering from a condition called Cardiomyopathy. Have you ever heard of it before?"

"No, w-what is it? Is it bad?" his eyebrows furrowed with instant concern.

"Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle that makes it harder for your heart to pump blood to the rest of your body. Your heart is actually enlarged due to excessive scar tissue that surrounds the organ. I'm afraid that this is a very serious condition that in time could pose a risk of leading to heart failure, which is life threatening. Now, you're young, and overall you appear to be healthy; if we start you on medication to help control your symptoms, and also help bring you some relief, I believe that we can prevent that from happening, but we must start you on them immediately."

"What?" Dave and Klaus asked in unison as this news came as a major shock for both of them.

"Can—Can I pass this on to my daughter?" Klaus asked fearfully with tear filled eyes. This news was terrifying, but the scariest part was the fear that he may be cursing his precious angel to suffer from such a fate. He needed to know that he wasn't dooming his poor baby girl to suffer from such an illness.

"According to your chart, we see that you have a past medical history of alcoholism and drug abuse. Your blood was clean, and so we can see that you're now sober; congratulations, we are happy to hear that. That being said, we checked for a hereditary connection when we ran your bloodwork, it appears your symptoms were caused by the scar tissue left on your heart from your years of past drug and alcohol abuse. So, the answer to your question is—No, you can not pass this onto your daughter."

Klaus's emotions overflowed from his heart with instant relief at the knowledge of that wonderful news. Honestly, if it weren't for Riley he could care less what this diagnosis meant for him, but for his _baby girl_? He would never be able to forgive himself if he would have passed this onto her. "Oh, thank god!" he cried as his walls crumbled and his tears freely cascaded his cheeks, "Are you sure that she's safe? She's going to be okay? Thank god, oh, thank god!"

"Yes, Mr. Hargreeves, your little girl is _safe_," Dr. Kessler assured him with a warm grin. "We will start you on the medication immediately to try to control your symptoms. We will have to monitor your conditions progress very closely since, please keep in mind that this is still a _very serious_ heart condition to have. This issue has probably been gradually forming for a number of years, but due to the recent added stress to the organ, I believe that is why your symptoms have just recently begun to occur. Now, most people can have this disease and be rather asymptotic until it is more advanced, I believe we have caught yours rather early, however. So while this must have been terribly scary for you, it was certainly a god send in disguise. We will continue to monitor you closely, but you are very lucky, Mr. Hargreeves. This news could have turned out much worse."

"Thank you so much," Dave smiled at the doctor to show his gratitude, she smiled and nodded back.

"I would still like to keep you here overnight for observation to ensure that nothing else occurs. Besides, you're still dehydrated, and I would like you to eat a full meal and get some much needed rest before we release you, okay? I'll go and get those prescriptions ready for your medication and leave you two alone. I'll be back in a little while," she smiled at the two lovers and gently squeezed Klaus's ankle to bid them adieu before taking her leave out of the room.

Dave intertwined his fingers within Klaus's and gave him a grounding squeeze. This was heartbreaking, Dave's worst nightmare was quickly becoming his terrifying reality. Klaus, the love of his life, the father of their daughter had a potentially life threatening disease?

"Thank god we caught this when we did. For Christ's sake baby, a heart condition?" Dave closed his eyes and bowed his head as this devastating news slowly started to sink in. "I can't even believe—"

Klaus's expression screwed up into one of agony when a pained groan escaped his lips. His free hand bolted for his chest when his heart spasmed painfully, he didn't like that this feeling was now starting to become familiar to him, too. The heart monitor he was hooked up to made an alarming beeping sound; the lines on the screen going haywire momentarily before easing back into a normal rhythm. Klaus's features softened along with them, but the sudden discomfort left him rather winded once again.

"Easy, Klaus, breathe...god, are you okay?" Dave's own heart fluttered at the sight of his love in so much pain, how could a doctor not find this to be alarming? "I can't believe your doctor didn't think that this should be taken seriously—"

"I'm okay baby, really. I don't blame them for thinking that way—"

"Well, I do! And dammit, you should too! Your life matters, darlin - to me, and to Riley, _you_ matter! They're not your doctor anymore, I want you to start coming here from now on, where I know that they will know how to take care of you and treat you properly." Dave's eyes filled with tears, he still couldn't believe this was happening to his love. Klaus's own tears welled in his weary eyes. His body relaxed against his mattress and he squeezed Dave's hand while he wrenched his eyes shut.

"I'm sorry, baby," Klaus apologized, his lips quivered when he was struck with guilt.

"No baby, you have no reason to be sorry. _I'm_ sorry, this is all _my_ fault." Dave ran his thumb over Klaus's delicate skin on his hand when a tear tumbled over his cheek.

"What?" Klaus asked, true confusion was thick in his tone.

"I'm so sorry, baby. I'm sorry that I accepted my stupid job, I'm so sorry that I left you alone all the time knowing full well how badly it effected you. I got fucking shot and it almost _killed_ you—"

"No—no, absolutely none of this is your fault. I'm happy that you accepted the job, baby. It's your dream job, you earned it, and it makes you so happy. I wish you hadn't been hurt, but that wasn't your fault, either. I told you to take the job. _This?_" Klaus rested his free hand over his heart, "This is my own fault. I chose to take drugs, and drink alcohol. I chose the path that led me here, none of this is your fault. It's all mine, not yours. Please, don't blame yourself for my mistakes." Dave stood up and wrapped his good arm around Klaus, pulling his love into a tight embrace. He needed to hold him, he needed to comfort him through this. He needed him to be okay. Both men allowed themselves to cry, they needed this release, they were both in desperate need for each other's comfort.

"I just...I love you so much, Klaus. I can't...I can't lose you." Dave voiced weakly through his own tears. He meant it, he couldn't imagine a world without his love in it.

"You won't, baby," Klaus assured. He cupped Dave's cheeks within his unsteady palms and shook his head, his watery emerald eyes looking between each of Dave's tear filled blues. "You won't."

"We will figure this out together, okay? You're going to be fine—"

"I know," Klaus began as a subtle smile flickered across his own terrified features. "I know I will, I have to be. I can't leave you or Riley...I won't let this beat me. You heard the doctor, this was a god send, we caught it." Dave pulled Klaus back into his arms again. He needed to hold him, to _feel_ him pressed against his own steadily beating heart. Klaus nuzzled against Dave's neck, burying his nose against the warmth of his skin. "I know in my heart that I will be okay."

_

**Authors Note: **

_Yes, everything that's been effecting our dear boy was not solely related to his powers, poor Klaus has a heart condition :(_

_For anyone who may be concerned (which is valid if you've read any of my other stories lol) allow me to just say that no, rest assured, Klaus will NOT be dying! This is what made me decide to have a sequel for this story, however, so be sure to follow me so you get updates whenever I post that! _

_I just want to say thank you sooo much to everyone who has commented, favorited or followed along to this story thus far, I appreciate you! And as always, if you're reading along to this little story I would adore to hear your feedback! So please all of you lovely people, if you could find it in your heart to please leave me a splendid little gift of a comment, it would absolutely make my day!_

_Next chapter is a deal doozy guys (it's crazy long, I apologize ahead of time lol) but it will be up next Friday! And then only 1 chapter left for this main story after that! Ahhh! I'll be sad to see this one go, but I'm excited for its sequel, and I hope you all will continue to enjoy it, too!_

_Stay safe out there my friends! Take care! :)_


	16. We Only Gather For Weddings or Funerals

****AUTHORS NOTE: I never do this, but I feel it may be necessary for this chapter****

****TRIGGER WARNING:** **Mentions/flashbacks of past physical abuse****

**CHAPTER 16: We Only Gather For Weddings or Funerals  
**

The joyful melody of Riley's laughter brought a warm smile to her daddy's face. The angelic sound coming from his rambunctious toddler was exactly what Klaus's reeling mind needed to hear right now after the week from hell he'd just been forced to endure...

An entire year had already come and passed since he first learned about his diagnosis, informing him of the terrifying truth that he was suffering from a very serious heart condition. He was relieved when the slurry of medications he was prescribed to start taking to aid in bringing him some relief did a great job at lessening his symptoms, successfully taking the majority of his pain away. For nearly a whole _year_ Klaus's health seemed to finally be on the up and up. He was sleeping better at night, his chest pains were all but gone; occasionally he would still feel a little uncomfortable flutter in his heart if he pushed himself too far, but overall, he was worlds better than he had been for the longest time before. Klaus was also no longer suffering from his ongoing chronic fatigue which had been a constant boulder that he had been already metaphorically pinned beneath for an entire year prior to his diagnosis. He was feeling amazing, he finally found that he had the strength to devote his attention and energy wholeheartedly to his daughter and his fiancé - _and their family_. Klaus had truly never been more happy in his entire life.

Dave's injuries healed with no complications; he would forever have a gnarly scar on his shoulder, and a small scar against the flesh of his abdomen just above his waistline, but Klaus always assured Dave that he found his scars to be sexy. Due to Klaus's diagnosis lining up exactly with Dave's own injuries, Dave was able to work with the FBI to figure out a way for him to be able to work from home once he was able to join the workforce again. Dave's employers were understanding of the family's situation; the knowledge that Dave's fiancé had a potentially life threatening illness, and knowing that he would need to be able to free up his availability to be there to help aid him and assist with caring for their daughter made the agency's decision rather simple: they were exceedingly willing to bend the schedule and make it possible for Dave to continue to work with them, but do-so from this moment forward from the comfort of his own home. _Finally_ the little family were able to be happy, they were together, and _all_ of them were healthy and safe.

Unfortunately, a little over a week ago the illusion of their perfect life quickly faded and dissolved away when Klaus's health took a sudden turn for the worst. The little family were taking their usual daily stroll around their neighborhood to take Riley to play at their favorite park nearby, where she loved to be pushed on the swing set and feed the ducks at the pond. They made this trip together every day for as long as they could remember, and Klaus had always made it there just fine. That day, however, everything changed. He'd awoken that morning feeling a little more sluggish than usual, not too unusual or unexpected, however, since the three of them had stayed up the night prior much later than they typically would to allow Riley to finish watching her favorite Disney movie. So it came as no huge surprise to Klaus when he found his energy to be a little more lackluster than usual. The little family had just barely arrived at the park when Klaus found himself to be extremely winded, he could hardly catch his breath and needed to sit down at one of the benches for a moment so that he could focus on regaining his ability to breathe. As he sat, however, he quickly realized that he was lightheaded, and a heavy fatigue had settled itself deep within his bones. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Klaus's chest spasmed and started cramping painfully. He was suddenly in so much pain, and was having great difficulty in catching his breath. At that moment he could sense it deep within his aching heart straight away that something must have been terribly _wrong_. Panicked, he voiced his concerns to Dave and they left immediately to take him to the hospital, for fear that Klaus may have been having a heart attack, as based on what he was feeling, that was truly what he believed must have been what was happening to him.

Upon their arrival at the hospital and learning what was _actually_ the cause of Klaus's sudden onslaught of pain, the couple didn't know whether they should be relieved or even more horrified. Klaus, thankfully, was _not_ suffering from a heart attack. However, they learned that he _was_ suffering from a complication from his illness called mitral valve regurgitation; which Dr. Kessler explained to them as a condition in which Klaus's heart's mitral valve wasn't closing tightly, which was allowing his blood to flow backward, flooding back _into_ his heart instead of pumping _out_ to fuel the rest of Klaus's organs properly like it was supposed to be doing. Klaus's doctor informed him that this was an _extremely serious_ issue to have, and recommended that they consider having immediate surgery to correct the flow as soon as possible.

Upon further evaluation, and a detailed plan of care discussion with his doctor, they opted to schedule Klaus for a Septal myectomy. The idea of this procedure frightened Klaus; he learned that it would be an open-heart surgery, his surgeon would be removing part of the thickened heart muscle wall that separated his two bottom heart chambers. He was informed that removing part of the heart muscle would improve the blood flow through his heart and reduce his mitral valve regurgitation. They did all of the necessary testing for his preoperative screening while he was in the office; being sure to go over any risk factors, explain the details of what he should expect after his surgery, as well as go over specific information about his incision care, medications, activity and diet guidelines, warning signs to look for after he left the ICU, as well as who he should call in case of emergency after he was to go home.

_They scheduled Klaus's surgery for that Wednesday…_

Despite the deep seeded worry that both Klaus and Dave were feeling prior to Klaus being admitted into the hospital, they were both overwhelmingly relieved to learn that Klaus's surgery had gone exceptionally well. He had to stay in the intensive care unit for two days to be closely monitored before being transferred to the nursing unit; where he stayed for an additional three day span of time. After a lengthy detailed discussion with his cardiac rehabilitation specialist, who helped by giving him a workout regimen that they recommended Klaus do daily to gradually increase his activity levels to aid in his recovery time, he was finally able to return home. Klaus's entire being flooded with relief the instant he was wheeled through the exit of the hospital and helped into Diego's car (Dave felt that getting into his truck may have been too strenuous for Klaus so fresh out of surgery).

Hospitals were many things to Klaus: a constant reminder of the strife that both he and Dave had suffered over the past years time, a giant building filled with a deplorable amount of germs, but more than anything, they were the one place where Klaus was never able to seek any refuge from the ghosts who continued to haunt him. His entire stay was more anxiety inducing than he liked to admit, but thankfully, it was over now, and Klaus was finally able to go back home.

Klaus first entered the hospital with an enlarged heart that struggled to function, and exited the hospital with an eight inch scar down the center of his chest that spanned the entire length of his sternum. He would forever be scarred with a constant reminder of his terrifying illness, but he had a renewed sense of hope that this would at least be the end of his heart problems. Even still fresh out of surgery with the sutures still embedded within his chest, Klaus already felt a difference. He could not be any happier.

It had only been two days since Klaus was discharged from the hospital after his open heart surgery, but the little family were still taking this opportunity to go for their daily walk per Klaus's doctor's instructions. Klaus had been cleared to start an exercise routine that consisted of some light walking to help him regain some of his strength. Typically, they would walk around their neighborhood, but it had been poor weather the last few days, so today the family decided to take a stroll around a big box store instead. The interior was climate controlled, which would be easier on Klaus's currently weakened and more fragile state of being, and offered them the added bonus of a shopping cart that Dave could strap Riley into and push and have readily available for Klaus to hang onto for added support should he get winded or need to take a break.

Klaus didn't push the cart, however. As it turns out, having your sternum split open much like a cadavers would be during an autopsy before being wired shut made pushing or carrying any objects rather difficult on a person. Klaus didn't mind, though. He was just grateful that despite feeling like he'd quite literally been cracked open like an egg and put back together like Humpty Dumpty, Klaus was just thankful to be _alive_. His doctor explained to them that had they not caught Klaus's mitral valve issue that it posed the risk of potentially leading to either a cardiac arrest, or even more frightening than that, _sudden death_. He was so happy they'd caught it and were successful in correcting the problem. Klaus was left pale, sore as hell, tired, and still felt incredibly weak after such a major surgery; plus he had the added bonus of a highly active two year old whom of which certainly didn't aid in his recovery process, but overall, Klaus could already feel an immediate difference. He was alive, and he now had faith that he would continue to stay that way for a very long time to come.

Klaus was currently taking a mini break down the electronics aisle to catch his breath. He was leaning his weight on the cart the best that he could without jostling his wound in his chest, but the cart still certainly had come quite in handy a few times already during this excursion. Klaus may have been exhausted, but he still couldn't help but to _smile_. Dave was tickling Riley and getting her to laugh; the sound of his daughter's laughter had always been Klaus's favorite sound. Thanks to his recent surgery, he was hopeful that he would now be able to continue to hear that beautifully angelic sound, and watch his daughter's face light up whenever she would smile or laugh for many, many more years to come.

"My goodness, isn't she a cutie," a friendly little elderly woman said as she passed by them on the aisle. Her own smile was warm amidst her pleasantly plump cheeks. "Heavens, which one of you is her father, why, she looks just like the both of you!" Klaus's lips instantly tugged into a mischievous grin at her inquiry.

"Ah, you caught us red handed, ma'am! She's actually genetically modified to have my fair complexion and luscious bouncy curls, and _his_ beautiful blue eyes and perfect dimples! You must work for the CIA, I can't believe you found us out!" He snapped his fingers and pointed at her and the woman bellowed out a hearty laugh.

"What a lovely family," She shook her head while she grinned broadly at them, patting Klaus's arm gently before she passed them to leave the aisle.

Dave laughed while he smirked at his fiancé, gently tapping his hand playfully to garner his attention, "Our daughter is not a GMO!"

Klaus's laughter reverberated deep within his chest, he winced at the sensation and took a moment to calm himself down. He was still far too fresh from surgery to be winding himself up like that, but he didn't even mind, painful or not, it felt _good_ to laugh and just be _happy_. He smiled, gripping the shopping card while he inched himself closer to Dave and his daughter and pecked his fiancé's jaw just below his ear before wrapping his arms around Riley the best that he could and pressing his lips to her broadly smiling dimpled cheeks.

"Daddy can't wait until he can hold you again, princess. My arms are so lonely without you in them!" Riley's laughter lit up the room and Klaus's cheeks filled with warmth at the sheer sound of his daughter's joy. He would never be able to get over just how much he loved his little girl.

The family were smiling, and laughing and enjoying a lovely relaxing day of just calmly walking around the store to allow Klaus his exercise to help rehabilitate his heart when they passed by an aisle lined floor to ceilings with television screens. A familiar face on the screens caught Klaus's attention and he immediately stopped dead in his tracks at the announcement that was displayed broadly like a banner across each and every monitor.

**_'BREAKING NEWS: ECCENTRIC BILLIONAIRE SIR. REGINALD HARGREEVES HAS DIED.'_ **

Dave stopped pushing the cart as soon as he realized that Klaus's steps had come to an abrupt and sudden halt. He looked at his love with concerned eyes before his attention also met the announcement plastered across each of the screens.

"Klaus," Dave was well aware of Klaus's family, as well as the poor relationship he shared with his father. With his immediate concern for his love filling his own chest and fueling his stride, he rolled the cart closer to his fiancé and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Baby, look at me, are you okay?"

Klaus's eyes blinked rapidly a few times before he turned his attention onto Dave. "That's my...dad. He-he's dead. I can't believe the old bastard is actually dead."

"I know. Would you even want to go to the funeral? I know you two didn't exactly get along," Dave questioned thoughtfully while he gently ran his palm up and down Klaus's back to soothe him, he could already see the tension building within his love.

"I don't...I don't even know. God, I _hated_ that man," Klaus's heart fluttered painfully with anxiety at just the thought. The idea of stepping foot anywhere near his childhood home, or seeing his siblings again after escaping from that hell so long ago, the idea made him feel sick. "Ugh, my stomach's all queasy just thinking about going back there." Klaus groaned while he closed his eyes and draped his hand over his ailing belly. He swayed briefly when he felt a little bit dizzy. Dave tightened his grip on his fiancé and helped usher him to take a seat for a moment to be able to calm his racing heart down; he absolutely did _not_ need any of this added stress right now.

"Here, sit down for a second, just take it easy, okay?" Klaus nodded while Dave helped ease his weary and sore body down onto the little bench. "You're going to be fine, you don't have to go anywhere you don't want to, he can't hurt you anymore—"

"I really don't want to...but I _need_ to go to the funeral, Dave. I've _got_ to go," Klaus stated through clenched teeth, the last thing he wanted to do was step foot anywhere within that 'home' ever again, but he felt deep within his heart that he should.

"Shh, it's okay. Darlin, I really don't think that you should go, not like this, not when you're so fresh out of surgery...but if you wanted to go, you can. I won't stop you," Dave began as he squatted before Klaus, pressing his palms to each of his cheeks while he peered deep into his now tear filled emerald eyes. "But I won't let you go back there alone, I'd be going with you."

"Baby, are you sure?" Klaus asked. He wouldn't dare expect Dave to do that for him.

"Absolutely, besides, there's no way in hell I'd let you go there alone. Especially not right now. You're supposed to be taking it easy, not stressing yourself out more," Dave ran the pads of his thumbs beneath each of Klaus's eyes when a tear seeped it's way down his cheek. Klaus weakly wrapped his hands around Dave's wrists and flashed him a subtle smile.

"Thank you, baby," he exhaled a sigh and signaled Dave to help him stand back up. Klaus's face screwed up in discomfort at the change in position once back on his feet before settling into a calm expression, "I guess we're going to a funeral, then."

—-

Time had always been held sacred to Sir Reginald Hargreeves, he had always been a punctual chap who found others who 'wasted his time' to be the absolute bane of his existence, which is why it came as no surprise to Klaus, Diego, nor Ben when they learned that the funeral had been set to be held the very next day, and that a vigil for Reginald would be performed in the courtyard of the academy. The family prepared themselves for this momentous occasion the best that they could before piling into Diego's car and hitting the road. The car rolled to a stop outside of the gates to their old childhood home. Diego shifted the vehicle into park before turning his attention to his brother. They'd made Klaus sit in the front passenger seat for the thirty minute trip so that he could lean the seat back to help relieve a little pressure from his chest. The weather was dreary outside, surely they would soon be expecting rain, and the undeniable change in the barometric pressure within the atmosphere was making the still fresh surgical wound within Klaus's chest _ache_. Dave sat behind his love in the backseat with Riley. He certainly didn't mind, it allowed him to be able to comfort Klaus and help curb his anxiety and obvious discomfort on the car ride over. Dave ran his fingers through Klaus's curls, peppering his hairline with delicate kiss after kiss, before his fingers worked at massaging the tight muscles in Klaus's neck and shoulders. His actions must have helped him feel at least a little more at ease, as Klaus had fallen asleep rather quickly upon leaving their house.

Dave peered out of the car window and up at the massive structure of the academy; the dark clouds framing the architecture only helped deepen the ominous and downright haunting appearance of the looming building. Seeing it as it sat now, he could understand why just the thought of this place struck such fear into his love's heart. Dave shifted his attention back to his slumbering fiancé. He adjusted himself so that he could lean through the opening between the two front seats and cupped Klaus's cheek, running his thumb across his cheek bone.

"Klaus, baby, we're here. It's time to wake up, okay?" he spoke softly to help coax him awake. Klaus's eyelashes fluttered and he tilted his head deeper into Dave's touch. Dave smiled and with great care to ensure he wouldn't cause Klaus any added discomfort, he leaned closer to steal a chaste kiss from his love. Klaus's lips tugged into a soft grin, but even that couldn't hide just how tired he truly looked. "How are you feeling?"

"Mm, a little tired and sore, but M'fine."

"Are you sure that you want to do this? It's not too late, we could leave right now—" Dave asked, he didn't want Klaus rushing into a situation that he didn't want to be in, especially not in his current weakened state.

"I'm sure, baby. I promise, I'm okay." Klaus assured Dave with a delicate grin.

"Dave, why don't you grab Riley while I help Klaus get out of the car," Diego instructed as he unlatched his own seatbelt before opening his car door; the metal groaned in protest as it swung open. Dave nodded, kissing Klaus's temple quickly one more time before doing exactly as he was told.

"Come here, princess, come to daddy Davey," Dave cooed with a warm smile while he unhooked Riley from her car seat, the toddler smiled while she wrapped her arms around his neck. He kissed her cheek, earning a squeal of laughter from the little girl before the two of them climbed out of the vehicle together.

Diego had already come around to the other side of the car and helped Klaus to his feet. It took a few minutes for them to do-so; as any drastic shift in his positioning would cause Klaus's chest quite a bit of discomfort, so they were always careful to take things very slow and move with great caution. Once up, Klaus closed his eyes to take a moment to compose himself. Truth be told, he was well aware that he was probably going to be doing much more physical activity than he was cleared to be doing as of yet, but he knew that he needed to do this. Not for Reginald, mind you, but for _himself_.

Klaus opened his eyes and stared up at the academy; this had been his place of nightmares for the first just shy of eighteen years of his life. It was almost surreal coming back to this place after so much time had passed since the last time he'd been there. He inhaled as much oxygen as his battered rib cage would allow before expelling the air from his lungs.

"Guys," Klaus quickly tried to reel in his fiancés and brother's attention before they were to enter the building. He had something very important that had been on his mind since he first learned of his father's death, and he knew that he needed to make himself clear. "It's none of their business what's going on with me, or my heart condition, I don't want either of you telling them, got it? I don't want them to know."

"Klaus—" Diego started to protest, but Klaus quickly cut him off before he got the chance.

"I don't want them to know, Diego. This," he repeated before gently resting his fingertips against the fabric of his slouchy turtleneck just above where the hidden scar was etched within his skin, "is hard enough to deal with on its own, I don't need them judging me even more for my past life choices over it. I'm not asking you, I'm telling you. Don't tell them about it…_please_."

Diego nodded solemnly in understanding. He wouldn't dare do anything against his brother's wishes. If he didn't want them to know, then they wouldn't find out. He would honor his brother's request and by not telling them. "Alright, okay, we won't let them know."

"Thank you," said Klaus before the three men and Riley approached the front entrance to the academy. Klaus tightened his death-like grip on Diego's hand while his brother draped his free arm across his lower back to help support him while they ascended the small staircase that led to the front door. The small added exertion of energy left Klaus feeling a little winded. He took a brief moment to catch his breath before he exhaled one more sigh when Diego wrapped his fingers around the door knob. "Let's just get this over with."

—-

Klaus pulled on the familiar mask of the façade he was forced to wear his entire upbringing within these walls as they passed through the front entryway that led them into the academy. Instantly, so many emotions flooded into Klaus's heart. Each wall, picture, trinket, statue or even _smell_ held so many different memories for him, it was hard not to find himself feeling as though he was right back where he had first started, stuck within a ripple in time. Everything was exactly as he remembered it from all those years ago; even the familiar smell of Grace's cookies baking in the oven wafted through the air. Klaus always found the smell to be almost off putting, like a potpourri of a false familial sense of 'home'; a cover for the truly evil happening within the building. As they passed through the hallway lined with their family portraits—_no_, Klaus wouldn't dare describe them as such, this would definitely be more aptly put as a wall of memorabilia to immortalize the fame of their academy days, he found himself re-living specific moments that he'd nearly forgotten from so long ago.

As they approached the staircase he could almost still see himself as a young boy throttling himself up the stairs, trying to beat his siblings in a foot race to the top in a dire attempt to appease his father - _for once_. However, of course, he had never been successful in doing so, and now he would never get the chance to. Not that he ever would be able to, anyways. Klaus would be lying to himself if he said he hadn't tried time and time again to impress his father, crave his affection and praise, only to constantly be reminded just how much the man truly didn't care about him at all. No, that was putting it lightly, how much he outright hated, and detested him all the way from the time that he was a small boy; a deep hatred Klaus was certain his father had carried with him all the way to his grave.

_Klaus's heart had been aching for a long time prior to him ever even knowing that he had a heart condition…_

Dave didn't want Klaus going upstairs at all, climbing stairs was not listed on his approved list of home workouts, he didn't want Klaus to over exert himself, and he certainly didn't want him doing anything that could potentially pose a risk to his health or his heart, but Klaus was adamant that he go up there. And so, begrudgingly, Dave helped slowly guide Klaus up the stairwell. It took them a long time, as Klaus could only climb a small handful of steps before losing his breath and needing to take a break, but with patience and perseverance they eventually made it to the top. On the final step Klaus's hand instinctively clutched onto the bannister with white knuckles as another painful memory flashed before his eyes.

"What is it, are you alright?" Dave asked when he noticed that Klaus's entire body went rigid.

"Y-yeah...just, had a flashback is all,"

"Flashback?" That's when Dave's own memories of conversations he'd held with Klaus over their past two years of being in each other's lives popped into his mind. "Oh...was it from when you fell?" He was of course, referencing the time that Klaus broke his jaw after a good tumble down the stairs. He remembered him telling him about that once before, and how tense Klaus had been, how he avoided eye contact as he spoke. It was a terrible, awful memory that clearly left a lasting negative effect on his love.

"_I didn't fall_," Klaus admitted dryly before taking the final step and slowly starting down the hallway of the second story. He didn't finish his statement, but he didn't need to. Dave slowly began to recognize what he meant. Klaus had been playing in his mother's heels when his father found him. If he didn't fall, then...Dave's jaw clenched when the realization of what his love was implying finally hit him. If he hadn't fallen, then did that mean that he'd been _pushed_?

Dave climbed the final step and quickly caught up to Klaus as he meandered slowly down the hall. His eyebrows furrowed when he spotted the curious art that lined the walls: Impale, gouge, choke, disarm, and that was only the beginning of the instructional photos made to appear like simple children's artwork...it pained him to witness the reality of what exactly Klaus had been forced to grow up with, what kind of a monster he'd been 'raised' under. Klaus paused before one of the doorways that was the entrance into an office space. He leaned his body heavily against the doorframe while he peered inside.

"This was my _darling_ father's office," he started before his eyes met Dave's. "We were never allowed to step foot inside of this room, but I did…_once_," he smirked before his features relaxed to a somber expression. "Luther dared me to. He said 'I bet you can't make it to his desk and back to the door without him finding out somehow.' Well, I'm always up for a good challenge, and the old man wasn't even home, he was away on some official _'academy business'_, so I did it. Ducked in, ran to the desk and tapped the corner before running back out. I couldn't have been in there for more than, oh, I don't know, maybe thirty seconds?"

"Did he find out?" Dave questioned. Klaus laughed dryly while his head bobbed in a quick nod.

"Boy, did he. That was the day that I learned he had cameras set up in his office, _pfft_, but, apparently Luther knew. Well, needless to say, _daddy dearest_ was not too entirely thrilled with me,"

"What happened?"

"Honestly?" Klaus questioned as he ran his palm down his face. "I barely remember what happened. I remember him starting to yell at me, you know, his usual threats; _'Number Four, I am tired of your insolence! Rules are made to be followed, not broken!'_ Then the next thing I knew I was waking up in the infirmary with my hand in a cast; yeah, apparently hands that constantly break rules wind up with broken fingers."

"Holy shit," Dave's eyes were blown wide in shock. He was aware Reginald was bad, but he hadn't realized just how much of a monster he truly had been. Klaus's lips quirked into a crooked grin as he shimmied himself off of the doorway before taking a large intentional step inside of the office. He scuffed the soles of his shoes harshly against the floorboards, firmly planting his feet into place. Klaus then held his hand in the air, wincing at the pain it brought him before aiming his attention pointedly at a portrait of his father behind the desk. Klaus held his middle finger to the sky in a final farewell salute to the bastard, a fitting goodbye in his eyes, before allowing his arm to go limp and rest against his side. He exhaled a sigh before returning his full attention back to his fiancé.

"Let's keep moving,"

Each room held a different memory for Klaus, some were pleasant; the memories of him sneaking into Ben or Diego's bedrooms after a nightmare, or a particularly bad day of training allowed a small semblance of a smile to tug across his pale features. But as he entered into his old bedroom Klaus's heart clenched at each and every awful memory that assaulted his brain: each night when he would wake up screaming, terrified of his nightmares, or the ghosts that haunted him; he never had been good at differentiating between what had been real, and what had been reverie. As he walked around the space, his fingers tracing over his dresser, candles, old drug paraphernalia, and long since forgotten empty bottles of alcohol, Klaus found himself suddenly feeling a little overwhelmed and needed to take a seat on his bed. Once seated, his vision instantly zeroed in on something splattered against his floorboards in the center of his bedroom. His eyes widened, and his heart rate quickened when he realized what it was.

_Blood…_

_His blood_, a permanent stain and bookmark in time from the fateful night that was the final nail in the coffin for him, the driving force that finally aided in his decision that he could no longer stay even a single moment longer trapped within these walls.

Klaus would never be able to forget that horrible night...

—-

_Klaus tried desperately to stay quiet as he slid his lanky body back into his bedroom from his fire escape window, but he was far too drunk and high to realize that the harder he tried to stay quiet, the louder he was actually becoming. It was exceptionally late, or rather, extremely early in the morning when he finally closed his window and tumbled rather unceremoniously onto his bed with a thump. He was thankful, for once, that his room was sound proofed as his loud giggling surely would have awoken not only his slumbering siblings, but his father, who certainly would have been displeased in finding him while being in such a disorderly state. His joy at truly believing he'd outwitted his old man and been able to have this wild night and come out of it entirely unscathed from punishment from his father was quickly pulled away like a rug from beneath his feet when his bedroom light suddenly was flicked on._

_"Late night again, Number Four?"_

_"Dad, I-I'm sorry, I just.. I must have lost track of time—"_

_"Do not lie to me, Number Four. You know how I feel about liars and cheats. Curfew is promptly attained at 6:30PM, I expect you to be in bed and asleep at that time, as I have always expected. Nothing has changed, and yet here we are. Tell me, what time is it now?"_

_"I...I don't know," Klaus mumbled sheepishly. He could almost feel his anxiety making the effects of his high wear off as his heart hammered wildly within his chest. _

_He knew what was to come for him..._

_"Speak up! Mumbling is for pitiful uneducated fools, or imbeciles with no control over their own tongues. Are you either of those?"_

_"No sir—"_

_"Well, I certainly wouldn't know it based off of your actions or incoherent babbling," Reginald yelled before he quickly closed the gap between himself and Klaus, his actions caused the young man just shy of eighteen to cower back from his approach. Reginald laughed at his fear. "Are you frightened? You always were a spineless coward, Number Four. Stand up, address me like I have trained you to. Stand before me and show me some respect, look me in my eyes."_

_Klaus barely even made it onto his own feet when he found himself face down against his floorboards, his cheek burning from a painful sting._

_"I've changed my mind, stay down there amongst the rodents where you belong. You have always been great at one thing, and one thing only Number Four," he said as he knelt down before Klaus. Twisting his short brown curls roughly between his fingers and yanking his face in his direction to look Klaus in his eyes. "Can you tell me what that is?"_

_"Um—" Klaus's words abruptly stopped when his head was slammed with such a force against his hardwood floors that it caused his vision to instantly blur. _

_"You're great at disappointing me! You have always been a disgrace, a loathsome little swine. Your very presence is abhorrent to me, Number Four." Reginald shoved at Klaus, earning a pitiful cry from the scared teen who felt like no more than a little boy under the intimidating presence of his father, before rising back onto his feet. "You disgust me!" Reginald's boots slammed into Klaus's body after each insulting word, "You are repugnant," a kick to his gut, "revolting," his ribs, "despicable," a kick to his head. "You have always been obnoxious, the idea of you speaking is repellent enough!" Reginald continued his tirade long after the brunt force trauma to Klaus's battered body left him barely clinging onto consciousness. "You will never amount to anything, Number Four. I have tried to mold you, shape you to be anything even slightly similar to any one of your siblings. I have given you constant guidance to help you, but you have always done only as you have wished - turning to drugs and alcohol to conceal your fears of the dead. You are damnable, a disgrace!"_

_Klaus could hardly breathe, he was sure he had at least a few broken ribs, and probably many more injuries. His entire body felt like it was on fire and he could barely see out of either of his eyes. He could hardly keep his eyes open as he stared up at the looming dark figure of his father who stood over his downright broken and battered body._

_"You have always been my greatest disappointment, Number Four. Unfortunately, I can see now that simply will never change," those were his father's final parting words to him before a final kick to his head sent him plummeting into the world of darkness._

—-

"Klaus? Klaus, baby, breathe, are you alright?" Dave's urgent tone pulled Klaus out of his hellish nightmare of a memory. His chest spasmed painfully when he finally gasped for air, he had not even realized he must have been holding his breath.

"Daddy, you okay?" Riley asked, she reached her tiny hand out to stroke a stray tear away from his pale cheek. Klaus smiled softly at his little girl, pulling her hand into his own unsteady fingers to kiss the delicate skin on the back of her hand.

"I'm okay.. I'm sorry about that," he assured quickly before leaning against Dave's shoulder who was sitting beside him with an arm wrapped around his back. Klaus closed his eyes while he ran his palm up and down Riley's back before taking her hand back within his own and giving it a gentle squeeze. "Just, bad memories, is all."

"God, you shouldn't have even come up here Klaus, _especially_ not in here, this room has way too much negative energy, you shouldn't subject yourself to that," Ben said as he entered the bedroom. This room harbored awful memories for _him_ as well, and seeing Klaus inside of these four walls again sent a chill of goosebumps down his spine. The last time Ben stepped foot inside of this room had been the night he found his brother unconscious two days after their father beat him nearly to death. Ben hated returning to the scene of the crime, he couldn't even begin to imagine how hard being back in this place again after so long must be for Klaus. Ben's relationship with their father was a train wreck on its own, but the man had never laid a hand on him, or any one of their other siblings as far as he had ever been aware. _But Klaus?_ He'd been mistreated in many ways; emotionally, mentally, but he was also the only known Hargreeves child who was forced to withstand the physical abuse from their father's oppressive hands. Ben had just arrived at the academy from school and this was his first time laying his eyes on Klaus in person since his surgery, this place was always his brother's greatest nightmare, he couldn't even believe that Klaus was here right now. He shouldn't be. Surely, just being here alone was far too much strain on his heart. Ben took in his siblings sweaty and pale appearance and frowned. "Hey, are you doing okay?"

Klaus smiled broadly at his brother, "Benny, hey, I wasn't sure if you would come. Who, me? Y-yeah, I'm _fiiine_, really," Klaus straightened his posture and ran his palms down his thighs while he took a moment to catch his breath. "We should probably head downstairs now, or everyone will wonder where we are," he went to stand up but faltered when the motion tugged uncomfortably at his chest, he groaned at the pain it caused him. Ben and Dave were instantly at his side to assist him.

"Woah, take it easy, Klaus," Ben cooed while he gently eased him back down onto the mattress. Klaus's complexion was dewy with sweat, and deathly pale. Even fresh out of surgery, Ben couldn't believe how terrible his brother looked. "Jesus, have you been walking all over the academy? Klaus, you need to follow your exercise regimen, you don't want to put too much strain on your heart. The doctor said, 'light walking', you need to sit down for a little while and take a break." Klaus smiled at Ben and patted his leg when his brother took a seat beside him.

"Ben, I'm fine. _Sheesh_, you're such a mother hen," Klaus smirked at his brother before he closed his eyes briefly while Ben rubbed his back to comfort him.

"Apparently I need to be, someone has to, that responsibility can't solely rest on Dave, Diego or Riley. Klaus, it's bad enough that you're here at all when you shouldn't be. You look exhausted, man, please, take a break for a minute, you need it." Klaus opened his eyes to peer at his brother with a warm appreciative grin before he squeezed his knee reassuringly.

"Ben, I appreciate you, I do, really. Thank you, but I swear, I'm okay. I can do this," he shifted his attention to Dave and took his hand within his own before looking between him and his daughter. "It's about time that you two met the rest of the ole fam."

With great care, Ben and Dave helped Klaus rise onto his feet. He was winded, and a little unsteady; his energy levels having been already severely depleted from all of the perusing they'd already been doing around the academy so far that day, but he knew that he was fine. Coming back to this place, Klaus already knew that he would be pushing the limits of his physical abilities. He was only three days out of the hospital, barely a week out of surgery, and so far his days consisted of a lot of bed rest, napping, cuddling with Dave and Riley and getting up for a short slow paced walk, typically a single lap around their block. But this? Even Klaus had to admit that this was...a lot. He was already feeling the severity of the physical, emotional, and mental toll all of this activity was having on his body. Truthfully, he was ready to just leave; to go home and curl up in bed with his fiancé and his daughter and remind himself that he would never be subjected to enduring such an insufferable life ever again. He had a family now who finally loved him, and treated him properly - and he did the same to them. He was so happy that his daughter would never have to live with fear in her heart about her father the same way that he had been forced to throughout _his_ entire life. Klaus would never, _ever_ hurt Riley. He loved his little girl, and was proud of the fact that he may have been many things, but cruel was not one of them. His daughter would never experience the pain that he had to endure, she would only ever know _love_. Riley was the one thing in Klaus's life that he'd done right, and he fully intended to keep it that way by never doing her wrong.

With Dave to his right, and Ben to his left they slowly began their descent down the staircase. Ben informed them that not everyone had arrived yet, they were waiting on Pogo, so they were to all meet in the living room prior to when the funeral would begin. With each step down the flight of stairs, Klaus felt his strength dwindle right along with it. They'd made it nearly halfway down the first flight when he felt his heart rate pick up, his chest ached as his heart raced and he found himself really struggling to catch his breath. He went to take another step down, but as he bore his weight down on the next step his knees disappeared from beneath him, his stance faltered and his body dipped dangerously, threatening to fall. Ben and Dave were quick to correct him, ensuring he wouldn't collapse as the two men worked together to hold Klaus's severely weakened body upright.

"Fuck, Klaus! Are you sure that you're alright?" Ben questioned anxiously, his eyebrows were pinched, and his jaw was clenched tightly with a worried expression.

"Darlin, I think it's a good idea that you sit down and rest for a little while like Ben suggested. You almost just collapsed—" Dave tried to reason with him, but Klaus just shook his head to focus. They were almost there, this was almost done. He just wanted to get this all over with.

"Guys, I'm fine—"

"_Klaus—_"

"I'm fine."

They finally made it downstairs together. Klaus did take a second to catch his breath at the foot of the staircase; mostly so that he could shrug off his brother and fiancé and at least attempt to pull off the look he was going for: that he wasn't suffering from a heart condition, or fresh out of surgery—that he was _fine_. They entered the living room and were pleased to find that they were the first ones to arrive there. Dave and Ben suggested to Klaus that he _please_, go ahead and take this opportunity to have a seat on the couch, and he decided that maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to do-so after all. He had just made it to the sofa and was just about to sit when a sudden new voice stopped him before he ever got the chance to.

"Ben, it's so good to see you, I'm so glad that you could make it—oh wow, Klaus, is that you?" Allison's voice questioned with a slight air of surprise to her tone. Klaus stood up straight and plastered on his best fake Cheshire grin he was so accustomed to wearing before turning to face his sister.

"Ally, _woah_, fame sure looks good on you," he stated as he eyed her up and down. He'd seen her in movies and on tv over the years, but not in person in well over a decade. Klaus was happy to see that his sister looked _well_. "Remind me to get your autograph, so that I can add it to my collection!" he trilled with a joyous sing-song tone, folding his hands across each other and holding them beneath his chin.

"It's been a long time, _too long_," she began as she smiled at Klaus with a warm expression. Klaus's own smile beamed as he bobbed his head in a nod.

"Yeah, well, you know how it is. Life tends to get away from you. Days pass by, people grow and change," he waved his hand airily before he snapped his fingers and pointed at his sister, ducking to look behind her to either side. "Speaking of which, Ally dear, where is Claire?"

"How did you know about her?" Allison asked, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She hadn't held any contact with Klaus in over a decade, she certainly never informed him about the existence of her daughter.

"Oh, Ally. I know we may not talk much, but believe it or not dear, I _can_ read. I've seen her in the tabloids," he admitted. What he didn't admit was how much it hurt him to learn of his niece's existence that way, but he really wouldn't complain. His smile dimmed slightly when he saw a look of what he would almost describe as shame across his sister's beautiful features. Perhaps she hadn't meant for him to learn about her daughter in such a way, either. "She's beautiful, Ally. Congratulations, she looks just like her mother." His smile lit back up when he saw how happy his comment seemed to make Allison.

"Daddy! Who is she?" Riley called from Dave's grasp. Allison and Klaus both turned to face the little girl; Klaus's face smiled fondly, while Allison's features shifted to one of confusion. Dave approached the two and Riley instantly reached for Klaus. "Daddy!" she giggled as she wrapped her tiny hands against Klaus's jacket, he cooed to her and took her hands within his own before nuzzling against her cheek and kissing her dimples. Riley giggled wildly at her daddy's touch.

"Daddy?" Allison questioned, eyes wide in shock. Klaus looked between Riley and Dave before turning to face his sister.

"Oh yeah, you're not the only one who is good at keeping secrets, sister dearest," he ran his fingers through Riley's curls before wrapping his arm around a sheepishly smiling Dave. "Allow me to introduce you to my fiancé, Dave, and our daughter, Riley."

"Fiancé? _Daughter_?" Allison's smile broadened with joy before her eyebrows furrowed and her lips quirked into a crooked grin. "But wait, which one of you is actually her father?"

"Ah," Klaus began, "you see, she's actually genetically—"

"Would you quit telling people that our daughter is a GMO," Dave quickly interrupted, earning laughter from both Ben and Klaus, while Allison just continued to look rather confused. Klaus giggled and rolled his eyes before exhaling an exaggerated huff.

"_Fiiine_, it was my promiscuity that led to creating this little angel, but that doesn't even matter, it's besides the point. _Oh!_ Here's another shocker for you, by the way, get ready for this one; I'm sober! _Yaaay!_ But anyways, back to the important portion of this little convo...like I said before, she is _our_ daughter. _Both_ of us are her daddys."

"Wow, Klaus, that's amazing, I'm so happy for you, congrats...and god, she's adorable," Allison cooed before running her fingers down Riley's back. Riley beamed at Allison, her dimpled cheeks spread wide with her precious toothy grin. "Hello sweetie, I'm your auntie Ally, it's so lovely to meet you!"

"Hi auntie!" Riley said in her adorable toddler tone. Klaus continued to smile when the rest of the family piled into the room.

"Who's kid is that?" Luther asked as he approached.

"Wow, definitely didn't expect to see you here, Klaus. Or ever again, for that matter," Five noted smugly as he looked his brother up and down, undoubtedly scrutinizing his appearance. Five always had a certain arrogant way about him, in Klaus's opinion. He tried not to judge him for his actions, though. Apart from himself, Klaus had always been under the assumption that their father was the toughest on Five when it came to pushing the limits of their abilities. Jumping through time using a portal he formed himself, using calculations that their father forced Five to sharpen his skills on almost every second of the day, left Five constantly overworked and drained. So much so that it left him seemingly permanently trapped within his thirteen year old body. Klaus always wondered if he would ever continue to progress in age again, but considering he still appeared the way that he does now so many years later, he supposed probably not.

"This is Riley," Allison sang proudly as she took the two year old into her own arms. She bounced her on her hip as she introduced the toddler to the rest of Klaus's siblings, "She's Klaus's daughter, our niece! Can you believe that? Isn't she beautiful?"

"Klaus, really?" Vanya asked as a wide smile spread across her cheeks. She was at Allison's side in an instant, running her palm down Riley's back and cooing to her, earning squeals of laughter from the little girl. "Oh my god, she's so cute! She looks just like you!"

"I look like both my daddys!" Riley exclaimed proudly, although it was more baby talk; but Allison, Klaus and Dave understood what she meant, anyways.

"Yes, sweetie, you're absolutely right, you do look like both of your daddys!" Allison agreed, earning a smile from Riley and confused expressions from everyone else in the family. Allison shook her head as she addressed the elephant in the room. "Guys, that's Dave—Klaus's fiancé. This is their daughter."

"It's nice to meet you, Dave. I'm Vanya," Dave shook Vanya's hand and sent her a warm friendly grin. The room broke out into soft banter that consisted of Dave and Riley saying hello to Vanya, and Allison as the two girls fought over who got to hold her next. However, in the end Ben won, saying it was his turn and that they could gush over her, but he'd been waiting on his cuddle time with her for far too long. The family talked about the actual origin story of Riley, Klaus's sobriety, which everyone was proud of him for and congratulated him on, even thanking Dave for helping to guide him through his journey to better health. Dave took no credit, however, and told them all to thank Riley, as she was who saved her father, not him. A circle broke out around Ben and the baby as Vanya, Allison, Diego and Dave watched while her uncle Benny tickled her, their attention fully grasped by the angelic laughter coming from the happy little girl. Luther and Five, on the other hand, were more hesitant. Klaus was standing to the side away from the mini crowd. He had a soft smile tugged across his features, but as Luther and Five examined him, they both found something about their estranged brother to be a little…_off_.

Five was the first to approach his brother, who was standing a little hunched with his arms folded across his chest. Five eyed him wearily; he noted that Klaus was pale, and sweaty. He was wearing a slouchy black oversized turtleneck sweater and a patchwork jacket with fur cuffs. It was as he examined the jacket that something else Klaus was wearing caught Five's eye: a wristband, one that there was no denying was from some form of a medical facility. Without so much as a hello, Five's fingers ghosted over the band on Klaus's wrist, but he flinched at the sudden unexpected contact and jerked away, quickly pulling his sleeve down to hide the wristband from his sibling's view.

"Christ on a cracker, Five, you can't just sneak up and start grabbing people," Klaus huffed. He would be lying if he said that he wasn't startled by the gesture. More than anything, however, he was mad that he'd forgotten to remove his wristband from his stay in the hospital. He was told to leave it on in case of emergency, but he didn't want his family to know about his predicament. How stupid was he to wear the proof of it like a shiny red beacon across his wrist.

Luther and Five exchanged a look; a hospital stay for a heart condition was_ not_ where either of their minds had gone. Five rolled his eyes and glared at Klaus, his jaw tight as his small body was fueled with a sudden rage towards his brother.

"Some things never change," he spat while he shook his head, rolling his eyes as he went to stand by Luther. Klaus knew what they must have assumed; of course, in their eyes this was just another rehab bracelet, surely they assumed that what _'never changed' _was his drug habit. Klaus wanted to protest and defend his honor, but he really didn't have the energy to right now. His chest was beginning to throb in a steady ache, he knew that he really needed to sit down and let his heart rest, at least for a few minutes. He turned to head to the couch to do just that, but unfortunately, he never got that chance.

"Good evening, children," Pogo greeted solemnly when he entered into the large living room, "I wish that we were coming together again under different circumstances, it is so good to see all of you. However, it is time that we gather in the courtyard for Master Hargreeves' ceremony."

—-

The entire Hargreeves family gathered outside in the courtyard for the ceremony. The weather had shifted since their arrival; heavy droplets of rain pelted into the loose soil that coated the earth beneath their feet much like when a volley of bullets would slam into their targets. The occasional flash of lightning would illuminate the sky, and the ground beneath their feet would quiver with each pulsation of thunder. The air around them matched the atmosphere inside of the academy; frigidly cold and unforgiving. What with the added bodies of the unexpected arrival of Dave, there weren't enough umbrellas to go around, so Ben held Riley beneath the pink umbrella with the clear vinyl canopy while Klaus and Dave huddled together beneath a single black umbrella.

Klaus would never voice it out loud, but he was grateful that he and Dave were forced to stand so close together. His fiancé's arm wrapped around his waist was helping him feel more grounded. Klaus couldn't help but to realize just how badly he really could have used a break to get off of his feet, and just sit for a little while before this ceremony would have begun. He could really feel his exhaustion starting to weigh him down. Truthfully, Klaus could hardly wait for this entire evening to be over, he desperately wanted to lie down and take a nap. His chest was steadily getting more and more uncomfortable as more time went on, and if he was entirely honest with himself, his pain was beginning to become nearly unbearable. If he didn't get a chance to rest soon he knew that he would have to cave and accept some of the pain medication he'd been prescribed after his surgery. He hated to take it at all. Major surgery or not, Klaus was adamant about staying sober, he needed to do this for his daughter. It was bad enough he needed such major pain medication directly after his surgery, but he begged as soon as he was able to be switched to something a little more 'ex-addict friendly' and was happy when his surgeons obliged his dire request. His medication provided very little more relief than naproxen would, but it would do. It would _have_ to, he refused to accept anything more.

Riley was the only reason Klaus was able to stand there without complaints throughout the duration of his late father's funeral service. He couldn't help but to watch her in wonder as he observed his daughter's beautiful features explore and investigate her shelter from the rain. Riley was entirely enamored by her umbrella; she would wrap her hands around the pink plastic rod and stare through the clear shade while she watched the sky release it's rain in total awe. Each flare of lightning would light up her features as they danced across the dark ominous clouds, and she would smile and laugh at the light show happening in the sky. Occasionally a clap of thunder would startle her, but Ben and Klaus were both quick to soothe her until her dimpled cheeks would be lined with a broad smile once again. No one seemed to mind the added distraction of Riley's incessant babbling and talking throughout the vigil - after all, a child's laughter and joy should take precedence over the bitter old man they were gathered there to _'celebrate the life of'_, anyways.

Thankfully, the entire funeral service seemed to carry on with minimal drama, which Klaus was eternally thankful for. The less drama, the sooner they could get this over with, which meant the sooner he could get as far away from this hell hole as possible and finally go home. As it neared the very end he could feel his chest beginning to spasm painfully, whether because he was anxiously awaiting the end of this event, or because his body was protesting all of the strenuous physical (and emotional) activity he had done already he was unsure, but when Pogo asked if anyone had anything they would like to say as a final farewell to their father, he was upset when of course, Diego and Luther had to choose that moment to start budding heads. Not that he would say he was surprised, because he absolutely was not, if anything, Klaus was more shocked that it had taken this long for them to start an argument in the first place. It started small, just the two bickering over the fact that Diego said Reginald was a shitty father, while Luther had always tended to disagree. It wasn't until their quarrel escalated to a physical altercation and shouted accusations that Klaus found that he needed to intervene, he didn't want his daughter to be exposed to such negative energy, plus, it was making his anxiety flare. Klaus needed to make them stop, right now.

"Guys," he started, raising his voice enough to be heard over the rain, "please stop, not in front of Riley!"

"Master Luther, Master Diego, please stop this at once!" Pogo insisted alongside Klaus.

But Diego and Luther were persistent in their argument. Both brothers continued their assault on one another, Klaus's other siblings had joined in chorusing together to shut this argument down, but neither man showed any sign of letting up or quitting.

"Boys, boys please, stop!" Pogo continued before throwing his hands in the air and leaving, he couldn't believe those two could be so disrespectful to his master. His departure had no effect on their arguing, however, and they continued their auditory and physical assault against each other. Klaus couldn't take it any longer.

"Hey, cut it out! Seriously, please stop fighting in front of my daughter—" Klaus bellowed before his voice choked to a halt. He didn't know if it was because of the hostility in the air mixing distastefully with the fact that he was already feeling so weak; especially now that he'd already been pushing himself well beyond his physical limits of what he should have been doing after a highly invasive open heart surgery, but Klaus's heart had finally reached its maximum level of pain. He gasped, his hand reaching towards his chest when his heart clenched painfully tight, he couldn't tolerate this pain any longer, he was beginning to feel faint. He wrenched his eyes shut, as a muffled agonized whimper burst past his clenched teeth. He was so dizzy all of a sudden, a white hot pain flooded his chest, he was desperately trying to gasp for air and struggling to breathe.

"Klaus," Dave's grip tightened against his waist and he pulled him tighter against himself. "Baby, what is it? What's wrong?"

"Klaus, try to slow down your breathing, oh my god—Dave, is he okay?" Ben's hand that wasn't holding Riley or the umbrella wound around his brother's wrist. Thankfully, due to the showdown going on between Luther and Diego, no one else seemed to realize Klaus's sudden discomfort.

"Dave I—" he groaned again, his grip tightening against his chest. "I n-need my meds...please." Dave knew something must have been horribly wrong if Klaus was willingly requesting—no, down right _begging_ for his pain medication. He could see the pain etched clearly across his love's face. Dave always carried Klaus's medication in case of emergency, he never wanted him to have to suffer.

"I've got it, baby, just try to breathe, okay," he hurriedly dug through his pockets for the orange bottle of pills before he popped off the childproof cap and tilted the bottle into his palm. Dave tried to be as inconspicuous as he could be, knowing how poorly his family viewed Klaus when it came to pills, but even with his stealthy motions the bottle still rattled, depositing a single pill into his grasp before he closed the bottle and handed the pill to Klaus. Klaus groaned when his pain made his heart clench again before he finally accepted the pill into his shaky hands. Klaus held the pill up to his mouth and pressed it against his tongue before swallowing it dry.

"I knew it," Luther exclaimed when the sound of rattling caught his attention and his eyes landed on Klaus from across the courtyard. "You're still on drugs!"

Suddenly the ruckus of their surroundings went entirely still when all attention landed on Klaus. He felt outed, even though he knew in his heart that what his brother said was not in fact truth, he still couldn't help but to feel that it may as well have been. Klaus' expression fell as a heavy guilt settled deep within his belly; he felt bad enough as it was that he needed to rely on his pain meds at all, he certainly didn't need or want his brother pulling everyone's attention onto him, caving into his weakness. Dave's own face twisted into anger, he was enraged by his accusations of his fiancé. How dare Luther accuse such a thing, couldn't he see how much Klaus had changed, how hard he was trying? Why was it so hard for this family to show his love the respect he so deserved?

"For fucks sake, Luther," Diego spat, his tone was dripping with venom, "pull your head out of dad's ass for one minute and try to see the bigger picture, Klaus isn't on drugs!"

"How could you even deny it, Diego? I mean just look at him," Luther pointed at Klaus accusingly, "and tell me he doesn't look like he's strung out right now to you!"

"Honestly, Luther," Ben pulled Riley against his chest and covered her ears, he didn't want Klaus's little girl to witness his family's slanderous accusations against her father, "is that all you ever think about, all of the different ways that you can drag on Klaus? Diego's right, He isn't on drugs anymore, he got clean two years ago for_ her!_" Ben gestured towards his brother's daughter curled against his chest. "So grow up and leave him the hell alone!"

"I can't believe either of you right now," Luther scoffed. His agitation at the spiraling situation was growing in intensity, he always knew those three were close, but to defend his addiction like this, and potentially put his daughter at risk? He was appalled. "You two are always so quick to have Klaus's back, you always have been, but you can't even deny the truth, I just watched him popping pills—"

"Yeah, they're prescription, Luther!" Klaus shouted over his brother's voice, he was tired of this argument over him, it was making his already reeling head feel even worse. He needed to put an end to this, right now. "Believe it or not, not every pill is for pleasure."

Once again everyone fell into an eerie silence. Dave ran his palm in soothing circles on the small of Klaus's back, he could tell he wasn't doing well, he could see his love's anxiety building under his pale skin. Ben laid a hand on his shoulder to impart some form of comfort; he knew that Klaus had undoubtedly opened a can of worms with his statement, he only hoped that it wouldn't come back to bite his brother in the ass.

"Prescription?" Allison's eyebrows furrowed in question.

"Klaus, are you sick?" Vanya asked while she took a couple of steps closer to get a better view of her sibling. She'd thought he looked a little pale and gaunt, but he'd always been like that, so what could possibly be wrong?

"I've been feeling a little…_under the weather_ lately, that's all. I'm fine, though. Really—"

"Bullshit!" Five exclaimed over Klaus, he knew that he was lying.

Diego held up a knife and pointed it at their smallest and fiercest brother, "Watch it, Five!"

"He's lying, Diego—"

"I'm _not_ lying—"

"Five saw your rehab bracelet!" Luther shouted. They had proof, he couldn't lie anymore, the truth would finally come out. "Why won't you just admit it, you're still on drugs—"

"Dammit, Luther, just this once would you give it a rest! I'm not on drugs—I have a heart condition!" Klaus finally blurted, the words spread like vomit off of his tongue so loudly that his voice echoed through the courtyard. Everyone stared at Klaus with wide eyes, clearly in shock by this unexpected news. Klaus took a few breaths to steady his ragged breathing before he finally continued to fill his family in on the truth, the _actual_ truth. He lifted his wrist and showed off the band wrapped against his skin, "I have a heart condition; this isn't a rehab bracelet, I was in the hospital, okay? I'm on medication for it. _These?_" Klaus took the bottle of pills from Dave and shook the bottle in his hand, "Yeah, not the same kind of drugs that got me into this predicament, I'm so very sorry to disappoint you, _Number One_." Suddenly the silence was gone as everyone began to demand Klaus's attention.

"What? Oh my god," Vanya cupped her hands over her gaping mouth, she couldn't believe what she'd just learned.

"Klaus, are you serious? What do you mean you have a heart condition—" Allison went to approach his side but Klaus just held up his hand to stop her; he didn't want anyone to know the truth, and now his secret was out. All of the attention on him was making him feel lightheaded, he really needed to sit down.

"Gimme daddy, I want my daddy!" Riley wailed, she was fighting against Ben and reaching for Klaus, her tiny fingers pinching the air begging for him to hold her. Klaus's features morphed into an expression of anguish when he took his daughters hands into his own and looked her in her big ocean blue eyes.

"I'm sorry princess, daddy can't hold you right now, remember?" Riley started to cry and Klaus felt his heart break even further. He wanted nothing more than to pull his little angel into his arms and hold her, he needed her just as badly as she needed him. Klaus wrapped his arms around Riley in his best attempt at a hug given his current predicament, it tugged at his surgical site painfully, but he couldn't be bothered to care. He just needed to hold his daughter. Klaus nuzzled his nose against her curls and kissed her temple, a tear slid down his cheek as he hugged her close to his heart, cherishing the sensation of her against him again. "I'm so sorry, baby girl. I wish I could hold you, I hope you know how much daddy loves you, I miss you so much."

"I know daddy, don't cry, Riley loves you, too!"

"Klaus," Luther approached his brother, he wore a solemn expression on his features. Klaus sniffled and pulled away from Riley, rubbing his tears from his eyes before they met his brother's. "Please, don't lie to me, I need you to be honest. What you just said...is it true?"

Klaus went to speak but his heart spasmed painfully and his features screwed up in pain. Dave grabbed ahold of his arm but Klaus just squeezed his hand to reassure him that he was okay. Klaus's chest was heaving for air, he needed a moment to catch his breath before he could talk. Klaus's eyebrows furrowed as he looked to Dave before turning his attention back to his family who were patiently awaiting his answer. With shaky hands, Klaus wrapped his fingers around the collar of his turtleneck, and he _tugged_. Klaus pulled the loose material down as far as the give in the fabric would allow, exposing the truth in plain view: revealing his fresh eight inch surgical scar from the incision site of his open heart surgery from just barely over a week ago. This was it, there was no faking or denying that anything that he said was factual anymore, no more hiding, or lying.

_This was his devastating truth…_

Luther's eyes widened in shock, he couldn't believe what he'd just seen. After all of his accusations, all of his cruel words and backhanded comments, his mistrust in his brother, and all along he could not have been any further from the truth. Klaus hadn't lied, he _was_ sick, he'd not been in rehab, he'd been in the hospital recovering from open heart surgery for a heart condition that he truly does have. He'd been wrong, and wrongfully accused his brother. Luther couldn't believe it...

"Oh, Klaus...I'm so sorry, god, are you okay—" Allison's own jaw was dropped, she couldn't believe it either. No one could, this news was a major shock to each and every one of them.

"Ally, I'm fine. The medication helps," Klaus released his shirt and pressed his palm against his chest softly when it fluttered, it was throbbing in pain, he was getting increasingly dizzy now. Klaus knew that he desperately needed to sit down, he could feel how badly his heart needed to rest. Klaus pulled Riley's hands into his own again and plastered on a smile for his precious baby girl. "Riles, why don't you and uncle Diego go inside and have some of grandma Grace's cookies, yeah? How does that sound?"

"Okay daddy!" Riley smiled and giggled, holding firmly onto Klaus's hands. Klaus's own smile widened before he kissed his little girl's dimpled cheek, tucking a strand of her curls behind her ear before Diego came to take her from Ben. "Cookies uncle Didi!"

"Let's go get those cookies, pipsqueak," Diego took Riley inside and out of the rain. She smiled and waved to her daddy the entire way to the door; Klaus smiled and waved back, blowing his favorite little princess a kiss.

As soon as Riley was out of view and the academy door was closed behind her Klaus's heart deemed it time to make its unbearable presence known. He gasped, pressing the heel of his palm against his chest. Everything was spinning, he could hardly catch his breath.

"Baby, I—I think that you and Ben were—were right, I need to sit down for a minute to rest, please, just, help me," Klaus pleaded before another groan spilled from his teeth. Instantly, Dave and Ben had their arms wrapped around Klaus, keeping their umbrellas over him as they led him to the nearest cement bench just a few feet behind where they were standing. It was wet from the rain, but none of them could bring themselves to care, Klaus desperately needed to sit. Dave sat beside Klaus and wrapped him within his arms, he needed to calm him down. The medicine should kick in shortly, but he needed to take it easy until then.

"Breathe, baby, just focus on your breathing. You're okay," Dave cooed to Klaus while he ran his palm soothingly up and down his back. Klaus closed his eyes and tried to calm his racing heart, and aid his lungs in catching their breath. The siblings took this as their cue to finally approach their brother as they circled around where he sat on the bench.

"That scar is from an open heart surgery. You still have sutures in your chest, Klaus...that surgery is fresh," Five noted with pinched brows, he couldn't understand why Klaus would even come to the funeral at all so soon after having such a major procedure performed.

"Klaus, should you even be out and about right now? How long ago was your surgery?" Allison asked, she had a deep concern lacing her tone.

Klaus took a few more breaths before peeling open his eyes. God, he was so tired, so completely and utterly drained from this day. "About a week ago...and honestly, no, probably not, but I'm fine. Besides, I needed to come—"

"Klaus, you should have called and told us, none of us would have ever expected you to attend so fresh out of surgery," Vanya's expression was contorted with worry, she just wanted her sibling to be okay. "A week, Klaus? God, you should be resting—"

"I wanted to come—"

"Klaus—" Five went to protest, but Klaus wouldn't allow it.

"I needed the closure!" he shouted, which only caused his chest to tighten painfully. Klaus screwed his eyes shut and gripped Dave's hand. "I needed to come back here one last time, I couldn't let the fear of this place devour me—the fear of_ him_. I needed a proper goodbye for the trauma that has haunted me every day of my entire life...I needed the closure, and I finally was able to get it." Klaus groaned again while he heaved for each breath.

The wind was whipping around the family, and the rain was soaking through all of their clothes as it seeped past their umbrellas and clung heavily onto their skin. Klaus was shivering, his already weakened state of being was wrecked enough as it was, he'd pushed himself well beyond his physical limits. Klaus was still incredibly frail from surgery and far too weak to stay out in this weather any longer. Dave could feel the chill on his love's skin, he could see how pale he appeared, how exhausted he was; how desperately he needed to warm up and_ rest_.

"You're doing too much too fast, darlin." Dave started as he cupped Klaus's cheek. Klaus opened his eyes to peer into Dave's worried ocean blues, "Come on, let's get you inside. It's freezing out here, you're still weak from your surgery, you don't need to wind up sick, too."

Klaus groaned when his pain flared again from his surgical site. He nodded in agreement, though. He was incredibly tired, and the chill was beginning to get to him. Dave and Ben each hooked their arms around Klaus and helped him onto his feet. Klaus was unsteady, he couldn't believe how _weak_ he felt. His fiancé and brother held onto him tightly; they needed to support the vast majority of his weight while they guided him inside. Klaus was barely moving and Ben and Dave kept exchanging worried glances between one another. They warned him that all of this activity and excitement would be too much for him far too fast, they hated that they were right. They only hoped that all of the strain that this day would undoubtedly have had on his heart _wouldn't_ cause him any additional harm.

The thermal difference upon entering the academy was a stark contrast from the atmosphere that it always presented within it; what had always been cold, and unwelcoming in spirit was at least warm and inviting in temperature, which Dave was grateful for. Klaus's body was left incredibly weak from his surgery, his heart was already struggling to pump blood through his body, now it was really working hard to warm his extremities. His limbs were shaking and freezing to the touch, he needed to warm him up, and fast. His heart was working hard enough as it was, the last thing he needed was it going into overdrive and potentially causing him harm. Dave and Ben led him to one of the couches in the living room, the one closest to the fireplace that one of the siblings had thankfully lit. With great lengths to be as careful as possible, both men helped Klaus take a seat on the cushions. Klaus was shivering even harder now that he was inside and able to feel just how cold he'd truly become. He groaned, the harsh vibrations of his body tugging painfully at his incision, not to mention, his still mending sternum.

"Here, this should help," Vanya handed Dave a thick quilt which he accepted with a nod and a thanks before he wrapped the thick, warm fabric around Klaus's trembling frame. Dave sat beside Klaus, pushing his curls out of his face to check his temperature, he hated how cold and clammy he felt. He pulled Klaus's hand into his own and rubbed his palms over his flesh in an attempt to warm him. Klaus's chest was heaving with each rushed breath that he took, Dave knew that he must be in so much pain, but he also knew that his medication should start kicking in soon, but he needed to help him calm down. With great care, Dave gently rested his fingertips just above Klaus's heart, away from his surgical site to feel his heartbeat. Klaus still winced at the touch, but upon feeling just how hard his heart was pounding against his rib cage, Dave couldn't focus on anything else other than helping to calm his love's breathing down.

"Easy, baby, try to match my breathing, okay? We need to slow your breaths to calm down your heart rate. Remember the exercises they showed us before we left the hospital, yeah? Good, darlin, follow my lead," Slowly Klaus mimicked Dave's actions; taking in a breath when he would, and blowing it out just as he instructed. It was the method Klaus's cardiac rehabilitation specialist taught them for occasions just like these, when he needed to calm down his racing heart. Slowly but surely after a few agonizing minutes, Klaus's breathing finally calmed down, along with his heartbeat. Thankfully it all happened just in time, as his medication was finally starting to take effect, as well. Klaus was finally able to relax. He rested his weary head against Dave's broad shoulder and Dave pressed his lips to his temple before nuzzling his cheek against his curls. Dave pulled his fiancé's hand into his lap and rubbed circles into the delicate skin, just furthering his love's comfort.

"Good, darlin, you're doing great. How's that feel, any better?" Dave cooed softly before kissing Klaus's curls once again.

"Mm, much. Th'nk you, baby," Klaus spoke softly, his fatigue had finally caught up to him, he was really feeling how tired he was now. He was so grateful for Dave. He always knew just what to do to help him calm down, and always put his heart at ease, and make him feel better, and safe. He would never get over how lucky he was to have found this man.

The siblings were enamored as they watched Dave with their brother; it was refreshing to know that Klaus not only had finally found someone, but that he'd met someone who not only treated him with respect, but was good to him and _for him_. They could see how much Dave loved Klaus, and how much Klaus loved Dave. And the love that they both shared for their daughter, Riley? Even the coldest of hearts within the room melted and warmed at seeing the love that the little family held within their hearts for one another.

"Klaus, I'm...I'm sorry about how I've treated you over the years," Luther stepped forward towards his brother. Where could he even begin to apologize for his behavior? He honestly hadn't the faintest idea, but he knew in his heart that he had to at least try. "I've never taken the time to listen to you, I never even once reached out after you left. Ben even told us what happened, but I chose not to believe him. You were just gone, and knowing your history, I'd be lying if I said that I didn't often wonder if you had even died. I may have never found out, either, because I was too stubborn to _try_ to. I don't know what to believe anymore, though. I can see now...how far you've come, brother. How much you've changed, for the better. Not even for yourself, but for your daughter. I'm so sorry, I should've been there for you, and for Riley—"

"Luther, please, stop, it's okay," Klaus interrupted his brother's apology. He took in a breath and released a sigh before he continued, "It's hard to be there for someone when you assume that one of them is dead, and are unaware that the other even exists."

"Well, that's not an excuse! I was terrible to you, even today. You tried to tell me you weren't on drugs, and I wouldn't listen, that was wrong of me,_ I was wrong_, I'm so sorry—"

"We are_ all _sorry, Klaus," Allison spoke up next. "Actions speak louder than words, we could each apologize until we are blue in the face, and don't think that we won't, because we absolutely will, because you _deserve_ it. But, please, let us _show you_ that we mean every word. Let us be there for you, and for Dave, and Riley. You…_you're sick_, Klaus..let us help you, please."

"You're going to need help," Vanya agreed. "Dave is only one person, he's going to need help, too. Taking care of Riley, and _you_.. you're going to need time to recover and heal from this. Will this surgery cure you from what was ailing you? You said that you have a heart condition, what do you mean, does that mean that you're still sick? Klaus, please, tell us what's wrong?"

Klaus and Dave exchanged a glance, Dave knew that Klaus hadn't wanted his family to know the truth, but the cat was already out of the bag now, should they reveal the rest of his secret? Klaus squeezed Dave's hand, his lips quirked into the subtlest of smiles while he bobbed his head in a single nod before resting it back against Dave's shoulder. Klaus was simply too tired right now to talk about his illness with his family, it was too draining and far too much for him to explain, but now with his permission, Dave knew that _he _could.

"He has cardiomyopathy, his heart is enlarged from scar tissue that he acquired over the years from his past drug and alcohol abuse. It's a disease of the heart muscle, it makes it hard for his heart to deliver blood to his body, and can lead to heart failure. He was having a lot of health issues for over a _year_; dizziness, chronic fatigue, passing out...then he started getting chest pains and his primary care doctor told him it was nothing. _Well, it wasn't nothing_," Dave poured all of the venom that he possessed behind that final statement, he still was beyond livid that a medical professional had wronged his love so badly. "But, Klaus has new doctors now, and they are the ones who caught it, they believe we found it early and can prevent that from happening. We've known about it for about a year now, and he was doing so well, his medication helped him so much. Then last week he got so sick, and it just happened so fast, and that's when we found out he had a complication called mitral valve regurgitation. I'll spare you every detail, but basically his blood wasn't flowing out of his heart properly, it was flooding back into it, instead. He had to have emergency surgery to correct the flow, and we just hope to god that this will help him so that he can finally be okay." Dave squeezed Klaus's hand and kissed his curls, every time he thought about all of the pain, and suffering his love has had to suffer through, his entire life, really, and now all of _this_? It broke his own heart, he just wanted Klaus to be happy, and healthy, it's what he _deserved_.

"Daddy!" Riley came barreling out of the kitchen, clearly she was on a bit of a sugar high as she ran at full speed towards her father. She extended her arms and got ready to launch herself into Klaus's lap when Ben's urgent tone stopped her.

"Careful honey bee, remember, your daddy is a little sore, you need to be gentle with him!"

Riley stopped running and looked at her uncle Benny with a sad expression before looking back to Klaus. She nodded her head and carefully crawled onto the couch, positioning herself between her daddy and Dave, being extra cautious not to hurt Klaus any further. "I sorry, daddy. I forgot."

"It's okay, princess, you didn't hurt me, I'm okay." Klaus's tired features tugged into a warm smile for his daughter, earning a broad smile from his little girl in return. Klaus pressed his lips to her curls, causing Riley to giggle.

"Daddy, want cookie, I bringed you one!" she asked excitedly while she held the cookie in the air towards Klaus. Klaus exhaled with a faint smile on his features.

"Aw, no thank you princess, daddy can't really have a cookie right now. Thank you, though, I'm sure it's almost as sweet as you," Klaus said tiredly while he booped the tip of Riley's nose, earning a squeal of laughter from his little girl. He was on strict dietary restrictions due to his heart condition, while he would love a cookie, he couldn't have one. Instead, he draped his hand over her arm and massaged circles into her skin and nuzzled himself closer to her, the best that he could. The clicking of heels followed by heavy soled boots sounded from down the hall, depositing Grace and Diego into the living room.

"Heavens, fill that little angel up with a few sweet treats and she certainly can run fast! She has quite the lively spirit, just like her father," Grace cooed while she straightened her skirt. Her perfectly painted red lips dipped into a frown as she took in Riley's father's appearance. "Klaus, are you feeling quite alright? You don't look well, dear..."

"M'okay, mom. Don't worry about me, thank you for spoiling my little girl. Your cookies always were the best," he smiled warmly at his android mother, earning a beaming perfect smile in return. He didn't have the energy to fill her in on his illness, he would save that laborious task for one of his siblings at a later time.

"Of course, dear. She is welcome to my baking any time! She is simply wonderful!"

"Thanks, mom," he smiled as his sights trailed to his little girl. "She really is."

The family watched Klaus's interaction with his daughter, they were amazed by how sweet he was to her, and how good he was with her. They were proud to find that Klaus not only was a father, but that he was a warm, and loving, amazing one, too. And Riley was such a sweet, well behaved and well loved little girl. They were proud to find that fatherhood suited him well.

Five took a sip of his coffee, the motion caught Riley's attention and she stared wide eyed at her 'little' uncle. She was amazed at finding someone in that room who was, in her eyes, closer to her own age. To Riley, Five was just a child himself, and she desperately wanted to be his friend.

"Wanna share with me?" she asked, as she extended her cookie towards her older little uncle. "It's yummy!"

Five's eyes widened at her sudden interest in him, the soft giggling of his siblings, including Klaus made him roll his eyes and his cheeks flush with embarrassment, but the way that she looked at him; so sweet, so innocent and so pure, even Five's hardened heart softened for her as a delicate smile tugged at his sharpened features.

"Well," he began as he approached his little niece and squatted before her, "I suppose it would be a nice accompaniment for my coffee...sure, why not. Thank you, little one."

Riley's giggles filled the air as Five sat on the floor to share the cookie with her, she was so happy and her laughter was contagious earning everyone to join her. Klaus's chest clenched painfully from his laughter, his expression twisted into one of pain and he exhaled a groan. His discomfort passed quickly, but he was feeling unbelievably tired, now. He closed his eyes and nuzzled his cheek against Riley's wild and unruly curls. Dave's eyebrows furrowed with worry, he could see how exhausted Klaus was, he knew that he desperately needed to lie down and rest.

"This has been such a big day for you, you've done more than enough, I think it's about time that you rest, darlin, you need it. Are you ready to go home?" he asked Klaus softly while he reached across to run his fingers through his curls. Klaus's eyelashes fluttered open and he looked at Dave with exhausted green eyes.

"I agree, you need to take it easy, get some rest," Ben stated reassuringly.

"You earned it," agreed Five with a smile. He patted Klaus's knee before rising back onto his own feet.

His siblings all voiced their agreement, letting Klaus know that he should go home and get some rest, and he absolutely agreed. Klaus could hardly keep his eyes open any longer, he was so tired, so he simply nodded his head in agreement. Diego came to get Riley, pulling her into his arms and bringing her around to say goodbye to her grandma Grace and all of her aunties and uncles while Dave tried to help Klaus up, but, as soon as he tried, Klaus's knees gave way from beneath him, he simply didn't have the strength anymore, he'd used all of his energy up. Thankfully, another strong set of arms wrapped around his waist helping Dave catch him before he got the change to fall.

"Let's start over with this whole family thing," Luther's smile was warm and sincere as he helped Dave guide Klaus out to their car. "We are all here for you now, okay, Klaus? I promise, we won't let you down ever again."

Luther took over for Dave and helped situate Klaus in the front passenger seat of the car. Klaus was tired, barely holding onto coherency any longer, but he heard his brother loud and clear. Klaus took Luther's hand into his own and gave it a reassuring squeeze while he flashed his brother a bright smile.

"I'd like that, Luther, thank you."

Luther squeezed his hand back, "Of course, I mean it. Now, go home and get some rest, okay?"

"Sounds like a plan." Klaus's eyes drifted closed and he quickly succumbed to sleep. Dave, Diego and Riley said their final farewells, before joining Klaus in the car and finally heading home. Ben wasn't far behind them, and would meet up back at home soon enough, as well.

Klaus was utterly spent and still fast asleep in the passenger seat of the car upon their arrival back at the house. Dave and Diego agreed that they shouldn't wake him, he needed the rest. Diego carried Riley who, like father like daughter, had also fallen asleep on the ride over, while Dave carefully pulled Klaus into his loving arms to bring him inside. Klaus hummed and his eyes fluttered, but never opened, thankfully. Dave was glad, he just wanted Klaus to sleep—he certainly earned it after the day he'd just had.

Dave wasted no time in laying Klaus down on their bed, being sure to properly tuck him in and ensure that his love was as comfortable as possible. Diego laid Riley down on the bed next to her father and she curled up beside him, sucking her thumb as she slept peacefully.

"Thank you, Diego," Dave whispered while he patted him on the shoulder.

"Anytime. I'll get out of your hair, keep me updated okay, I'm leaving you in charge, make sure he takes it easy."

"He's not allowed to leave that spot for the rest of the night."

"I'll hold you to it," Diego smiled and patted Dave's shoulder. Quietly and as gently as can be as to not wake either of the sleeping beauties on the bed, he leant over and Kissed Riley's cheek, before ruffling Klaus's curls and kissing his temple "goodnight, you two. Sleep well, I love you." Diego said, he waved goodbye to Dave before leaving the family to finally get some well deserved rest.

Dave kicked off his shoes and crawled carefully into bed himself; his heart flooded with warmth and he smiled as he joined his beautiful little slumbering family. The door quietly swung open and Ben peered inside the bedroom; Dave held his index finger to his pursed lips with a gentle _'Shh'_ to ensure he didn't wake Klaus or Riley up. Ben smiled softly and nodded at Dave before whispering a delicate "Goodnight, love you both, sweet dreams," before telling Dave goodnight as well and softly closing the door behind him, allowing them to finally sleep.

Dave curled himself up beside his little family, draping his arm around Riley to hug her close while pulling Klaus's hand into his own and holding it tight.

Finally, he thought, Klaus would never have to go through any obstacles life had to throw at him alone ever again. He finally had all of the love and support that he had always deserved. Klaus had a beautiful daughter who loved him more than anything, a loving fiancé who would give his own life to protect him and keep him safe from the cruelty in the world. He had Dave's family, and now, Klaus finally had the support of the entirety of his _own_ family by his side. Dave smiled while he closed his eyes knowing that Klaus would never be forced to spend a moment in this world feeling alone or without knowing what it meant to be loved ever again.

**AUTHORS NOTE: **

_The entire family is finally together again! I know it took long enough, but we made it! Lol_

_**A quick note: I took some creative liberties in this story! Allison didn't see Klaus's wrist band, Five did. Vanya will NOT have powers in this story, she also did not write the book. She grew up the ordinary one but was actually thankful because of it, because she didn't have to endure the abuse that she witnessed her siblings suffer from. Luther still has his large ape-like body, but everyone was already aware of it because everyone was still home when the incident that caused it occurred. That's all that I can think of for now. Any further questions, feel free to ask me in the comments below! :)_

_I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! As always, if you did I would absolutely love to hear from you in the comments! I crave validation, okay?! It's perfectly normal, I swear! LOL_

_Thank you everyone who has followed along with this story so far, commented or favorited, I appreciate you! I'll see you all again next week for the **final chapter** __**for**__ **"Baby Story Part One"** Lol and again, absolutely don't forget to favorite me to be notified when I start posting **Part Two!**_

_**KlausNeedsLove: **I wanted to thank you so much for your constant support on this story, I have looked forward to your comments each week! I just wanted to make sure you knew how much they mean to me and how much I appreciate you! Thank you so so so much! I hope you liked this chapter (it was a doozy!) next weeks should make up for all the angst! :)_

_Thank you all again, please, take care! :)_


	17. The Perfect Little Family

Days passed, seasons came and went, and before anyone knew it just a little over half a year had already passed them by. While he still had a long road to recovery ahead of him, everyone was eternally grateful that Klaus's heart was already showing signs of healing _beautifully_. No longer did he suffer from sleepless nights, or his seemingly endless chronic fatigue. He would forever adorn a scar boldly down the center of his chest as a permanent reminder of the hardships from his heart condition. Occasionally he would still get a tiny flutter, or a minuscule cramp, and whenever he would push himself too far physically or emotionally he would still find himself to be winded, and need to take a break and allow himself to take it easy for a little while to rest, but to him, all of that was just a small price to pay in exchange for his overall good health. His daughter still had her daddy, and Dave still had his husband.

That's right, _husband_. Klaus and Dave had a small wedding a little less than a month ago, as soon as Klaus's heart was well enough. It was a small ceremony; quiet, intimate and between just the two of them - and of course, Riley.

Speaking of Riley, Klaus's little princess turned three years old today, and boy, was she more of a spitfire than ever. She's got a beautiful, vivacious firecracker of a soul - just like her daddy. Every time Klaus looks into the bright pools of ocean blue within the eyes of his precious little girl he can't help but to _smile_. He still couldn't believe the joy that little angel brought into his life, and counts his blessings every day that he's lucky enough to wake up to her perfectly dimpled smiling face. He knows in his heart that she truly is the best thing to have ever happened to him, the most precious gift that he could have ever received.

Riley was not only beautiful on the outside, but on the inside as well, and she was such a smart and brave little girl with truly the kindest of hearts. Klaus was proud to witness how much his daughter showed a passion for everyone! She loved animals, but more than anything, she loved hugs and kisses, but her favorite person to give them to has always been, and forever would be, _her daddy_. Riley loved getting piggy back rides on Dave's shoulders, and playing tag or hide and seek with Klaus. At home, Riley's favorite hobbies include laying on the floor with her daddy and coloring, singing along to music, dancing with her daddy's like nobody's watching, or cuddling between Klaus and Dave on the couch during movies. She still didn't like to sleep in her own bed, but rather preferred to snuggle with her daddy's every night, a habit she simply refused to break. She had always known Dave to be her daddy right alongside Klaus; after all, he entered into her life when she was not quite yet even two weeks old, and he had remained a constant positive and loving presence ever since. They were _both_ her 'daddy's' in her eyes, and forever would be in _all_ of their hearts.

Klaus laughed as he scooped Riley up into his loving arms and pressed her against his chest in a tight embrace; the toddler's squeals of joy brought warmth to his smiling features while she tried to wriggle out of her daddy's grasp. He tickled her, making his daughter's squirming intensify as he peppered her giggling dimpled cheeks with kiss after kiss. Listening to his beautiful little girl's laughter had always been Klaus's absolute favorite sound in the world, and he knew that he would simply never be able to get enough of it.

"Daddy, no!" Riley pleaded through her boisterous giggles, which only helped to fuel her father's unending tickling.

"Klaus," called Diego. "I know it's her birthday and you're her daddy, but—"

"Quit hogging her!" Allison finished with a bright smile tugging broadly across her beautiful features while she helped the rest of their family set up for Riley's special birthday picnic.

Klaus, Dave, Riley and the rest of the Hargreeves and Katz families gathered together today in celebration of Riley entering into her third year of life; her first birthday with all of them _together_. They met at Riley's favorite park, which was a short walking distance from Ben's house. It was the perfect spot for them to walk to every day to keep up with Klaus's daily workout routines his doctor recommended he continue doing to further strengthen his heart. Riley loved this park, it had swings that her daddy's could push her on, plenty of trees and hiding spaces for hide and seek, and expansive open fields for endless games of tag. Her favorite part quite possibly, however, was the pond that was always filled to capacity with plenty of 'duckies' for Riley and her perfect little family to feed. This was one of their favorite spots to spend their time together, but any time spent together would forever be perfect and precious to all of them.

"No!" Klaus cried as he squeezed his little girl even tighter in a bone crushing embrace, pressings his cheek firmly against her curls. "You can't have her, she's mine!"

"Darlin," Dave started as he smiled affectionately at his husband, laying a gentle hand on the small of his back while his brilliant blues met Klaus's emerald greens. "Sharing is caring, let her visit her aunties and uncles, they're all here to spend time with her."

"But I don't wanna," Klaus huffed through pouted lips, before pressing his cheek against Riley's and holding her even closer. "Daddy wants to hug his little princess forever!" he finished in a baby tone.

"Daddy, you're squishing me!" Riley exclaimed through her giggles while she continued to wiggle around in his grasp.

"_Klaus—_" Dave stated firmly with a quirk of his brow. Klaus's lower lip jutted out to further his pout while his shoulders hunched forward in defeat.

"Ok, _fiiiine_," Klaus set Riley down before ruffling her perfect ringlets of dark curls and kissing her cheeks. "Go on, princess, your aunties and uncles don't want me to be selfish, so I _guess_ I'll share you with them." He hugged her close, earning a riotous laugh from his siblings when he stuck his tongue out at them over his daughter's shoulder.

He pulled away from his little princess, nuzzling their noses together before fluttering his eyelashes against his daughter's in a quick butterfly kiss, which made Riley giggle and smile impossibly more before fixing her little lavender dress and sending her on her merry way. Klaus watched her scamper off with a fond smile on his face; he still couldn't believe that precious little angel was _his_. Klaus adored Riley, truly loved her with every inch of himself and every single ounce of his soul, and it warmed his heart as he watched their family circle around his little girl to know that _they_ loved his daughter just as much as he did, too.

Klaus was _happy_, he was proud to know that his little girl would grow up surrounded by an adoring family who _loved_ her. She would never know fear, or experience pain by the hands of someone who was supposed to care about her. She would grow up to be happy, just as he'd always planned and hoped for her to be.

A strong set of arms wound their way around Klaus's waist, pulling him ever so gently back until he was pressed against a broad chest. Klaus smiled, closing his eyes and tipping his head back against Dave's shoulder while he laced his fingers between his husband's. A kiss pecked his temple and Klaus's head gravitated towards the touch, eagerly accepting his love's tender kiss.

"How are you feeling?" Dave whispered against the shell of Klaus's ear, earning a soft hum in response.

"Amazing," he opened his eyes and spun himself around, looping his own arms around Dave so that they were snugly wrapped in a tight embrace while his eyes stayed fixed on his daughter playing with his siblings. "Just look at her, she's so happy, everyone is. I can't believe she's already three years old, my little girl is growing up."

"I know, and she's growing up to be so beautiful," Dave cupped Klaus's cheek within his palm, wiping away a stray tear just before it got the chance to fall. "Just like her daddy."

"Sorry," Klaus sniffled while he retracted an arm to wipe beneath his eyes, a soft embarrassed smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "I told myself that I wouldn't get emotional."

"There's no need for apologies, darlin, this is a big day," Dave said honestly as he pulled Klaus back against his chest, tightening their embrace. He held him there, gently rocking him back and forth while peppering his neck and shoulder with kiss after kiss. Dave and Klaus both knew that this would _indeed_ be a big day, but not _only_ because it was Riley's birthday. They'd already been talking about doing this for months, and they both agreed that now was the perfect time to make this wonderful little dream of theirs into their perfect reality. Today was _finally_ the day. "Are you ready?"

"God yes, I can't believe it's finally happening," Klaus inhaled a shaky breath and closed his eyes, he was excited, and anxious, but more than anything, he was _happy_. Dave smiled warmly at his husband, cupping his cheek within both of his warm palms and pressed his forehead and nose to Klaus's.

"Take a deep breath," he instructed calmingly, keeping his eyes open to watch Klaus as he followed his lead, their breathing matching each other's, "and blow it all out, good, darlin. Now, what do you say we go and make this official." Dave softly ran the pads of his thumbs over the delicate skin on Klaus's cheeks as he pressed his lips to his before the two took each other's hands, interlocking their fingers together in a tight and grounding grip before they re-joined their family.

Riley giggled wildly in her uncle Luther's grasp while Vanya and Ben worked together on tickling her. She tried desperately to try to climb onto his massive shoulders, her tiny hands grasping at the collar of his overcoat and accidentally slapping gently against his neck and chin, her fingers occasionally tugging aimlessly at his lips or nose in her haste while he just smiled fondly at her futile attempts to escape her auntie and uncles brutal tickling assault. Allison held her fingers over her mouth attempting yet failing to conceal her own laughter, while Five's typically stoic features proudly adorned a pleased smirk, thoroughly enjoying watching the big buy struggle with the squirming toddler. Diego was shaking his head and laughing, telling Luther to give the girl a little help while he, Robbie and Joe, Dave's sisters' husbands tended to finishing setting up the layout for the smorgasbord of food everyone worked so hard to prepare. Dani was pouring glasses of water and her freshly squeezed lemonade into little paper cups, while Emily watched her children, Carter and Brooke, and Dani's daughter, Eliza playing on the swings.

Klaus and Dave approached their family, stopping briefly to offer the boys their assistance in setting up, but they were told not to worry about it, they were nearly done, before making their way to the small crowd surrounding their daughter. Klaus exhaled a loud chortle at the sight that greeted them upon their arrival.

"Luther," Klaus trilled with a wide spread grin. "I'm pretty sure that's considered niece abuse in at least seventeen states," he finished.

"It isn't me, I'm just holding her," Luther defended before gently grasping Riley beneath her arms and holding the toddler out like he was offering her up to the gods.

"No, uncle Lu-Lu! They'll get me!" Riley squealed as Vanya and Ben stalked towards the girl again, fingers twitching in the air preparing to strike. Klaus pressed the back of his hand against his brow, fanning himself with his free hand.

"Oh heavens," he began in a thickly laden distressed southern bell accent, "whatever shall we do? Who is to save Princess Riley from her evil captors?"

"Never fear, Daddy Davey is here!" Dave exclaimed before swooping in and wrangling the toddler into his arms. He placed her proudly atop his shoulders and her dimpled cheeks adorned a beaming smile that stretched from ear to ear as her fingers clasped onto each side of his face. "You're safe now, m'lady. I've saved you from the vile beasts!"

"They're not wild bees, silly! They're my uncles and auntie!" Riley corrected, Dave and Klaus exchanged a warm smile as Dave approached his husband.

"You're right, princess. They are!" Klaus said happily before Dave bent down, effectively dislodging Riley from his shoulders and back into his arms where he blew raspberries on her cherubic cheek before pelting her with kisses. Riley laughed, she loved it whenever her Daddy Davey would kiss her like that, his whiskers always tickled her cheeks. Dave carried Riley to the bench nearest to their family and stood her up before he knelt down on both of his knees in front of her, tucking a rampant wind blown curl behind her ear, their matching blue eyes met in wonder as he gently gripped her tiny waist.

"Riley, your daddy and I have something important to ask you that has been on both of our minds for quite some time now," he glanced at Klaus who smiled and nodded, joining Dave in addressing their daughter. Klaus gathered his daughters tiny hands within his own, a warm, loving smile was worn proudly across his features. He exhaled a soft chuckle before he finally spoke.

"Riley, you know how precious you are to me and your daddy Davey. You have changed both of our entire lives, and brightened our world, princess, and all for the better," Klaus's lips began to wobble as his emotions broke through, he couldn't help himself, he was already getting choked up. He closed his eyes to hide his building tears. Klaus pressed his fingertips above his heart, massaging delicately at his chest when his heart fluttered with a combination of anxiety and trepidation. Klaus inhaled a deep breath before slowly blowing it out. Dave decided now was his time to step in and allow his husband to rest and compose himself, he didn't want to risk him getting too worked up or potentially causing him any pain. He gently gripped Klaus's shoulders and helped ease him down onto the bench beside his daughter. Klaus smiled and nodded in thanks before he directed his attention to his little girl, softly stroking his palm up and down her back. Riley crouched down to look Klaus in his eyes before she pressed her tiny hand against his cheek, wiping away his tears.

"Daddy, why are you crying? Are you okay, do you need a nap?" she asked as she watched him with concern on her precious features. Klaus laughed lightly, taking her hand within his own. He ran his thumb over her soft skin before kissing the top of her hand.

"Aw, no baby, I'm okay. Daddy's just happy, these are happy tears," he said delicately.

"Happy tears?" she questioned with a tilt of her head. Klaus nodded as he hummed in response. Riley was still too young to remember, but happy tears were a common occurrence with Klaus; he cried when she said her first words, and took her first steps. Every accomplishment, every milestone, every happy event within Riley's life, Klaus _always_ cried from his pride that he held within his heart for his little girl. One day she would know just how much her daddy loved her, and just how many tears he'd shed out of sheer love for his daughter. This was not his first time crying with joy, and Klaus knew that it certainly wouldn't be his last. Dave adjusted himself so that he was propped on one knee before he took Riley's free hand into his own, earning the little angel's attention. She smiled while Dave placed a beautifully intricate floral crown made of baby's breath atop her head; Klaus had made it for her - baby's breath was symbolic for their everlasting love, and their emotions that would never die for their beautiful little girl.

"Riley, I have loved you since the moment that I first laid my eyes on you. You are the one who made it possible for me to meet your daddy, you have been the best little girl ever, and I have loved every single moment I've gotten to enjoy watching you grow up," Dave said softly, his own eyes were rimming with tears as he spoke. "You are blossoming into a wonderful young lady, and I am so incredibly proud that I get to be here to witness you grow, and learn. I am just so thankful that I have been lucky enough to know and love you, baby girl."

"I love you, too daddy Davey!" Riley beamed as she squeezed both of her daddy's hands. Dave smiled proudly while he sat himself on the bench and pulled Riley into his lap. Klaus and Dave both kissed Riley's cheeks, and the little angel just giggled and squirmed in his grasp. The little family shared a laugh together before Riley settled down, sitting propped on Dave's lap to face both of her daddy's, taking both of their hands back into her own.

"You have always been my little wriggling worm," Dave said as he nuzzled his nose to Riley's, earning even more giggling from the little girl. Dave smiled and straightened, looking to his beautiful husband before returning his full attention to the little lady on his lap. Dave sucked in a deep breath and finally popped the question he'd dreamt of asking for far too long. "Riley, can we make our perfect little family complete, will you be my daughter? Can I _officially_ be your daddy Davey for now and forever? May I adopt you, sweetie?"

A small gasp escaped from the little girl accompanied by a giant grin as her features lit up with pure joy. Riley clasped her hands together with a quick clap before she threw herself at Dave in a loving hug. "Yes, Daddy Davey! I'd love that!"

"Well," Joe, Emily's husband said from the picnic table; he held a pen and the adoption paperwork in his hands. "Let's make this official!" he carried the documentation over to Dave, handing him the pen. He accepted it happily, wasting no time in signing the paperwork, officially making him Riley's second father. Klaus kissed his shoulder while Dave handed the completed paperwork back to his brother in law before turning his full focus back onto his family.

Dave wrapped his arms around Riley, burying his lips into her wild curls finally allowing his tears to freely cascade his features. Klaus smiled, encircling his arms around his husband and daughter, kissing each of their cheeks. The perfect little family held each other, enjoying their first family hug as a complete family. They were happy, each of their hearts were whole, and full of an undying love. Riley hugged both of her daddy's back, her own eyes filling with tears. She pulled away and touched her own dampened cheek, before cupping her tiny hands to each of her daddy's tear streaked faces.

"More happy tears!" she exclaimed with a wide dimpled grin. Dave and Klaus each nodded. They laughed, wiping at their own eyes before wiping at Riley's.

"Always happy tears with you, princess," Klaus said as they each kissed her cheeks. Riley smiled when both of her daddy's took her hands within their own and stood to bring her back to her party. They each held one of her arms, swinging the little girl in the air eliciting squeals of pure unbridled joy, and love from their little princess.

Klaus's eyes met his husband's brilliant ocean blues before he looked around him at his family—his entire family—and he _smiled_. Klaus had his loving husband, and his whole family surrounding him who all loved him _and_ his daughter. He had his beautiful, perfect little girl whom he truly loved more than anything this world had to offer. Finally, Klaus had everything he never knew he always wanted, and finally had everything he had always deserved. He was happy, healthy, and safe, and more than anything, he was _loved_.

_

**Author's Note:** _This is it you guys, THE FINAL CHAPTER! I just wanted to thank you all from the bottom of my heart who followed along to this story, you guys have been so wonderful! Major shout out to KlausNeedsLove for following from the very beginning and being kind enough to comment on each and every chapter, you are too kind! I appreciate you so much!_

_There IS a sequel to this story you guys, I'll start posting it next Friday, be sure to follow along to me to be notified when I post it! I hope you'll show that story as much love as you have this one! _

_Thank you all again, and as always, if you enjoyed this please let me know in the comments, I would adore to hear from you! Especially now since it's the LAST chapter!_

_Thank you again! Much love! :)_


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